Lincoln Center Unveils Inaugural HEARTBEAT Arts and Wellbeing Summit

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts has announced details for HEARTBEAT, its first dedicated arts and wellbeing summit, which will bring together artists, scientists, and health professionals for a public program exploring the role of the arts in individual and collective wellbeing.

The summit will feature live performances, participatory movement sessions, expert-led workshops, immersive experiences, and reflective programming centered on emotional and physical health. Participating artists and contributors will include Rufus Wainwright, Soul Paint, Chai & Jam, and the New York Liberty’s Timeless Torches, among others.

HEARTBEAT is presented in collaboration with Lincoln Center resident organizations including Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Juilliard School, Lincoln Center Theater, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, and the School of American Ballet.

Programming highlights will include an opening performance and conversation with Wainwright and neuroscientist Dr. Charles Limb examining how the brain creates and experiences music; a collective singing event with The Lazours; movement and breath-based sessions led by teaching artists from the School of American Ballet with live harp accompaniment; immersive virtual reality and sensory experiences; creative writing programs with youth storytellers; demonstrations exploring rhythm and neuroscience through Japanese Taiko drumming; DJ-led explorations of repetition and community-building in music; and a closing event combining poetry, meditation, movement, and jazz curated by Jazz at Lincoln Center with Lincoln Center Poet-in-Residence Mahogany L. Browne.

As a lead-in to the summit, Lincoln Center will also present a special event earlier in the month, Stories and Songs of Music and Health, featuring Renée Fleming, Francis Collins, and guest artists. The program will explore research on the health impacts of music through conversation and collective singing.

“The arts are fundamental to our human thriving, both as individuals and as broader communities,” said Mariko Silver, President and CEO of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. “As a civic and cultural hub, we have a responsibility to continuously support the wellbeing of our city, and we are thrilled to host this inaugural convening that brings a multitude of art forms together—illuminating them through a scientific lens, and deepening how the arts show up as essential to community care.”

“We believe deeply that the health of our communities is a shared responsibility, and that the arts offer a vital blueprint for fostering collective wellbeing,” said Shanta Thake, Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. “Together with our friends across campus, we invite New Yorkers to experience the power of music, movement, and collective presence as catalysts for resilience and shared connection.”

The February programming is part of Lincoln Center’s broader arts and wellbeing initiatives, which include performance-based programs for individuals with dementia and caregivers, relaxed performances for neurodiverse audiences, hospital partnerships, and collaborations examining mental health through music in partnership with the World Health Organization’s arts and health initiatives.

All events will take place along accessible routes and include accommodations such as assistive listening devices, quiet spaces, and live captioning in select venues. Tickets for HEARTBEAT events are available on a choose-what-you-pay basis.

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