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Buffalo Philharmonic, Oishei Children's Hospital team to host musical doctors from around the world

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Mon, Jul 9th 2018 03:40 pm
For one week, 47 doctors will trade scalpels and stethoscopes for strings and reeds.
On Sunday, doctor-musicians from seven countries and 16 states headed to Buffalo for a week of intensive coaching, rehearsal and chamber performance under the guidance of Music Director JoAnn Falletta, Resident Conductor Stefan Sanders and the musicians of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.
The doctors will give two special performances while they are in town. On Wednesday, several of the chamber music groups will perform for the patients, families and staff at Oishei Children's Hospital. These performances are part of the hospital's groundbreaking Healing Arts Initiative, which serves as an extension of the community, bringing performances and visual artworks into the hospital to promote healing and wellness. The BPO has been a key partner in this initiative since 2014.
At 7 p.m. Friday, the doctor-musicians and the BPO will perform at Kleinhans Music Hall under Falletta's baton. The audience will be comprised of donors and subscribers to the BPO, and employees of Oishei Children's Hospital and Kaleida Health. The concert is a culmination of the doctor-musicians' week of rehearsal, and is a chance to showcase all that they've learned. The audience is invited to bring gift cards, which will be donated to the families of patients at Oishei Children's Hospital.
In between rehearsals, coaching sessions and performances, the doctor-musicians will get a chance to experience some of the highlights of the Buffalo-Niagara Region and to see some of the newest features of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. They will receive tours of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Buffalo and Oishei Children's Hospital, and can take excursions to the Darwin Martin House and to Niagara Falls. They also have some unstructured time to explore the region on their own.
The Doctors of the World program started several years ago when Fred Albrecht, a cardiologist from Grand Island who also plays bassoon, presented the idea to the BPO. The first program took place in 2014, and a second program in 2016. Both have been in partnership with Oishei Children's Hospital. Nearly half of this year's 47 attendees have attended all three iterations of the program.
"Our first Doctors of the World program in 2014 raised $15,000 for the brand-new Healing Arts Program at Oishei Children's Hospital, and we are so excited to be able to bring many of our original participants back, and welcome new ones this year to show them the fruition of this program. The BPO is honored to be a part of this medical community partnership and to also provide a meaningful musical experience for our doctor-musicians," said BPO Director of Education and Community Engagement Robin Parkinson, who has coordinated the program since its inception.  
"We're grateful to the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, JoAnn Falletta and the talented musicians who play for the moms, kids and babies in our care at Oishei Children's Hospital," said Allegra Jaros, president of the new John R. Oishei Children's Hospital. "We're fortunate to have a dedicated community partner in the BPO who bring the healing power of music to the bedside for our patients, their families and our care providers."
For more information about the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, visit www.bpo.org
John R. Oishei Children's Hospital is the regional center for comprehensive and state-of-the-art pediatric trauma, surgical and medical care, including neonatal, perinatal and obstetric services. Oishei Children's Hospital is the only access point for pediatric critical care as the region's only Level I Pediatric Trauma Center. It also serves as the only Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Western New York and state-designated Regional Perinatal Center. The hospital enjoys a worldwide reputation for innovation and research while providing highly specialized care and treatment through a broad array of co-located outpatient services.

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