About Us
“We have been so honored by the interest and impact this series has evoked. It has affected me profoundly and it is my great hope that others feel that same level of impact.”
Mozart & the Mind is an annual festival presented by Mainly Mozart.
Each year, top researchers come to San Diego to uncover and explain the power of music in order to empower the “Mozart” within all of us.
International pioneers in the fields of science, medicine, and the arts explore the impact of music on our brains, health, and lives through:
Interactive installations exhibiting cutting-edge technology
Talks
Film premieres
Expert panels
Live performances
Art exhibits
And more.
Following these presentations and displays, world-class musicians will be featured in performances that lead audience members to reflect on what they’ve learned and ponder how music might be affecting their brain in that very moment.
2020 Spotlight: Alzheimer’s, Autism and Dementia
“Almost every autism workshop I have ever attended is presented from a lens of deficit... Autism [at Mozart & the Mind] was presented and discussed from the lens of celebration, visionary genius, art, strength, and love. The challenges were powerfully acknowledged as well.”
Dr. Temple Grandin with Attendees
Mozart & the Mind promotes a community-oriented, ability-first approach to arts education where the stage is set for every mind to find its “Mozart.”
In 2020, world-renowned Alzheimer’s, autism and dementia researchers, speakers and advocates will be featured at Mozart & the Mind. (For a full lineup, click here.)
Mainly Mozart is proud to offer “Pay What You Can” pricing to families in need, to ensure anyone who could benefit from Mozart & the Mind is able to attend. More than $10,000 was given in scholarship support in 2019 to families of need.
Each year, the Mainly Mozart Youth Orchestra performs a free, Sensory-Friendly Concert as part of Mozart & the Mind - designed to give those on the autism spectrum and their families an inclusive and celebratory environment to enjoy live music. (With quiet rooms provided for those with hypersensitivities.) (Sign up here.)
More than 100 autistic musicians have been featured as part of Mozart & the Mind. Mozart & the Mind 2019 featured performances by young autistic musicians; an art exhibit featuring local San Diego County and Baja California artists on the autism spectrum; a North American art competition for young artists with autism; catering by young chefs with autism; an annual Sensory-Friendly Concert for autistic children and their families; symposium & expo which brings together experts in autism, neurology, music therapy, and the arts to share knowledge and resources.
In 2019, Mozart & the Mind brought attention to more than 65 disabled visual artists from around North America through public display and sale of their art.