Surgeon General, Esperanza Spalding Sign on for Kennedy Center's 'Music and the Mind' Series

The 19th Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. Vivek Murthy, joins National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D. in a free discussion, "The Future of Music and the Mind," hosted by Kennedy Center Artistic Advisor at Large Renée Fleming on Saturday, June 3, at 3:30 p.m. as part of Sound Health: Music and the Mind.

They will address what the future may hold for music and the mind, what can be learned from studying music's interaction with the brain, and what the potential implications might be for music therapy. Kennedy Center Grand Foyer / Free.

Grammy Award-winning bassist, vocalist, and composer Esperanza Spalding joins Dr. Charles Limb and jazz pianist Vijay Iyer for the "Jazz, Creativity, and the Brain" session on June 3 at 7:30 p.m.. Together, they explore the science of creativity by examining improvisational art forms and the research that is helping to create a rudimentary model for how creativity is implemented in the human brain. Family Theater / $20.

Tickets ($20) for all South Health: Music and the Mind sessions on June 3, as well as for the NSO's Sound Health in Concert on June 2 ($25-$39) are available online at kennedy-center.org, in person at the Kennedy Center Box Office, and by calling (202) 467-4600 or (800) 444-1324.

NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

Established by Congress in 1965, the NEA is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the NEA supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America's rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. Please visit arts.gov.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is America's living memorial to President Kennedy. Under the guidance of Chairman David M. Rubenstein, and President Deborah F. Rutter, the nine theaters and stages of the nation's busiest performing arts facility attract more than three million visitors to more than 3,000 performances each year, while center-related touring productions, television, and radio broadcasts reach 40 million more around the world.

The Center produces and presents performances of music, dance, comedy, and theater; supports artists in the creation of new work; and serves the nation as a leader in arts education. With its artistic affiliates, the National Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera, the Center has produced more than 300 theatrical productions, and dozens of new ballets, operas, and musical works, in addition to hosting numerous international cultural festivals. The Center's Emmy and Peabody Award-winning The Kennedy Center Honors is broadcast annually on CBS and annual The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor is broadcast on PBS.

The education programs of the Kennedy Center, including those of its affiliate VSA, the international organization on arts and disability, have become models for communities across the country and have unlocked the door to learning for millions of young people. Education at the Kennedy Center produces and presents age appropriate performances and educational events, and fosters innovative programming, curriculum, and professional development for students, teachers, and families.

The Center and its affiliates stage more than 400 free performances by artists from throughout the world each year on the Center's main stages, and every day of the year at 6 p.m. on its Millennium Stages, which are also streamed live, online. The Center also offers reduced and complimentary tickets to young people, active members of the military, and the underserved through its MyTix program and offers a Specially Priced Tickets program for students, seniors, persons with disabilities, and others with fixed low incomes.

To learn more about the Kennedy Center, visit kennedy-center.org.