A conversation with Renée Fleming: a voice promoting dialogue between art and science

During her visit to Paris for performances of Nixon in China at the Opéra Bastille, internationally renowned American soprano Renée Fleming met with research teams and patrons of the Paris Brain Institute.

One of the most celebrated artists on the international opera scene, was named Goodwill Ambassador for the Arts and Health by the World Health Organization in 2023. Renée Fleming works with conviction to foster dialogue between the arts and medical research. Through her Music and Mind initiative, which has resulted in a series of podcasts and the publication of a book of the same name, she helps raise awareness among a broad audience about the role of music in brain function and well-being.

Ahead of an exceptional gathering organised on March 19, 2026, hosted by a couple of long-standing patrons of the Paris Brain Institute and bringing together some forty major donors and friends, Renée Fleming met with the Institute’s teams and learned about the research projects being conducted there.

This visit, accompanied by Yves Agid, a founding member of the Institute, and Stéphanie Debette, provided an opportunity to discuss the impact of music on the brain with Paolo Bartolomeo, advances in imaging with Stéphane Lehéricy, and creativity with Emmanuel Volle, —to better understand scientific advancements at the intersection of the arts and neuroscience—a field she has actively supported for several years.

The private meeting on March 19 was part of this dynamic. Renée Fleming shared her career journey, her commitments, and her vision for open, interdisciplinary research. She was joined by Paolo Bartolomeo and Stéphanie Debette, who provided scientific insights into the work conducted at the Institute, illustrating the richness of international—and particularly transatlantic—collaborations as well as the quality of the expertise developed.

She also emphasised the importance of supporting innovative research at the intersection of science and the arts, while highlighting multidisciplinarity, one of the Institute’s major strengths. In this context, promising prospects for collaboration are emerging, notably with The Mount Sinai Hospital, paving the way for large-scale joint projects and the mutual enrichment of scientific and creative approaches.