SynchInConcert

Duration:
01.10.2023–31.03.2026

Classical ensemble musicians synchronize their actions with high precision and accuracy while performing. Are the heartbeats and breathing of musicians and audiences synchronized during live concerts?

An orchestra playing music. Photo.

Photo: Stavanger Symphony Orchestra.

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About the Project

Heartbeats and breathing rhythms are essential to life. Lab-based research suggests that certain contextual and social factors can impact the interaction between these physiological rhythms during joint actions such as ensemble playing. SynchInConcert aims to make a cutting-edge contribution to the study of physiological rhythms by investigating, to our knowledge, for the first time the influence between the cardiac and respiratory rhythms of musicians and audiences in live concerts. SynchInConcert also investigates how these rhythms reflect the aesthetics of the concerts and are influenced by social and contextual components.

Research and innovation objectives

The specific and measurable research objectives (RO) are as follows:

  • RO1: Investigate interpersonal synchronization between cardiac and breathing rhythms of musicians and audiences, typical for live concerts.
  • RO2: Address how the physiological rhythms and/or physiological coupling of RO1 reflect the aesthetic appreciation of the concerts.
  • RO3: Describe how social and contextual components influence the physiological rhythms and/or synchronization coupling of RO1.

Research questions (RQ) and related hypotheses (H)

Poster with text describing research questions and related hypotheses. Illustration.

Work Packages (WP)

  • WP1: theoretical foundations 
  • WP2: data management and data collection completion (including the research design definition and the ethical application process)
  • WP3: analysis and papers writing up
  • WP4: training and transfer of knowledge 
  • WP5: dissemination and communication activities
  • WP6: placement at the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra

Participants

Funding

Funded by the European Union

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

This project receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon research 
and innovation program under the Marie Sk?odowska-Curie grant agreement No. 101108755.

Published Jan. 24, 2025 1:47 PM - Last modified Jan. 24, 2025 1:47 PM