The Palm Beach Symphony will host its annual Music, Maestros & Masters: How the Arts Fuel Body, Mind and Soul on Thursday, November 13 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Elinor Bernon Rosenthal Lifelong Learning Complex at Florida Atlantic University’s Jupiter campus. The panel discussion brings together leading voices in music, science, health and athletics to explore how the arts, especially music, enhance physical performance, cognitive vitality and emotional wellness.
This year’s expert panelists include Shawn Berry, founder and artistic director of the Young Singers of the Palm Beaches; Dr. Kathleen L. Davenport, a spine and sports medicine physiatrist at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS); and Latin Grammy Award-winning trombonist Domingo Pagliuca, principal trombonist of the Palm Beach Symphony. The conversation will be moderated by Dr. Kevin Wilt, Department of Music Chair at FAU’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts & Letters.
The evening will also feature live musical vignettes by Palm Beach Symphony musicians, FAU faculty and singers from the Young Singers of the Palm Beaches, an award-winning children’s choir that teaches life skills through music. The organization, which has grown to seven choirs with over 350 singers in its core program and more than 1,000 children in after-school programs, provides an atmosphere of artistic excellence where children develop teamwork and leadership skills.
Tickets are available for $25 at fau.edu, and students under 16 attend free with a registered adult. The event underscores a broader trend of integrating arts into health and performance disciplines. Dr. Davenport, who serves as company physician for Miami City Ballet and is on the boards of several dance medicine organizations, emphasizes the importance of collaborative care for optimizing wellness. Shawn Berry’s work with Young Singers demonstrates how music education fosters leadership and community engagement. Domingo Pagliuca’s career, spanning the Boston Brass and Florida Grand Opera Orchestra, illustrates the versatility of musicians in various genres.
Moderator Kevin Wilt, an award-winning composer whose works have been performed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and other ensembles, brings a scholarly perspective to the discussion. The panel is part of Palm Beach Symphony’s broader mission to engage, educate and entertain the community through orchestral music. Recognized with a 2020 Muse Award for Outstanding Community Engagement, the symphony has reached more than 90,000 students through its education and outreach programs, including children’s concerts, coaching sessions and instrument donations.
The event is supported by numerous sponsors, including HSS Florida, PNC Private Bank, and the Lois Pope Foundation, among others. The discussion highlights the growing body of research linking music to cognitive and physical health, making it relevant not only to arts enthusiasts but also to health professionals and educators. By convening experts from diverse fields, the Palm Beach Symphony aims to foster a deeper understanding of how the arts can contribute to overall well-being.
