Musical Groups
WCM Music & Medicine Orchestra
Founded in 2011 and recently revitalized in 2024, the WCM Music and Medicine Orchestra is the largest and most active medical orchestra in New York City. It is a cornerstone of the greater organization as a means for like-minded musicians to meet and bring music to the Tri-Institutional community and beyond. Our musicians are largely involved in medicine and scientific research and come from a variety of institutions such as: Weill Cornell Medical College, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, The Rockefeller University, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, NYU Langone Grossman School of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. We are also proud to collaborate with conservatory students from The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, and NYU Steinhardt, as well as other dedicated community members who share our passion for music’s role in medicine.
Weill Cornell Medicine Chamber Music Society
The WCM Chamber Music Society is composed of many small group ensembles, such as piano trios, string quartets, vocalists, and duos of all kinds. The WCM Chamber Music Society presents a full-length concert at the end of each semester and connects musicians with a variety of other performing opportunities throughout the year.
Music as Medicine
Through Weill Cornell Medicine’s affiliation with NewYork-Presbyterian, the Music & Medicine Initiative brings together students and faculty to integrate music into medical practice. At NewYork-Presbyterian, our musicians regularly perform mini-concerts and provide bedside performances, offering comfort and connection to patients and their families.
In 2024 alone, Music & Medicine has hosted over 50 hospital performances, the majority of which were bedside visits for patients with limited mobility. We frequently perform in the following units:
- Weill Cornell Medicine Hematology/Oncology Infusion Center
- Ronald Perelman Heart Center
- Inpatient Units:
- 2N (Orch Spine Unit)
- 5W, 5N (Medicine Step Down)
- 10S, 10C (Leukemia and Lymphoma)
- 11SB (Geriatrics)
- 14S, 14N (Medicine Step Down)
- Gracie Square Hospital
Music in the Community
Bringing music to the Weill Cornell Medicine community is a vital part of our mission. Music & Medicine actively provide musical services for major student organizations, such as Weill Cornell Community Clinic, Center for Human Rights, and Center for the Performing Artist, as well as for medical school associated events, such as the Gross Anatomy Memorial Service, graduate ceremonies conducted at Carnegie Hall, and student events (e.g., open mics, general body events). All major Music and Medicine hosted concerts are also publicly available to both the NYC and WCM communities.