Making music together and listening to live music increases the “cuddle hormone” oxytocin. This is shown by the evaluation of measurements taken from visitors during the "Sound & Science" event on May 27. The hormone oxytocin is normally released through hugs and kisses and also has the ability to strengthen the immune system and reduce stress, anxiety, and pain.

In cooperation with the TU Dresden, the Dresden Music Festival measured the oxytocin levels of concertgoers before and after the concert at the Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden. In the study, the average level before the concert was 37.54 pg/ml . After listening to music, it rose to an average of 203.17 pg/ml in the volunteers . A clear effect was also observed in the musicians: While hugging brought about little change, making music together led to a clear increase in oxytocin concentration – by an average of 88.49 pg/ml .

Professor Clemens Kirschbaum of the Technical University of Dresden comments on the results: " Truly astonishing. I have only very, very rarely seen anything like this before ."

The analysis of the questionnaires after the concert corroborated the physiological findings: Many listeners reported a strong sense of connection with the musicians as well as with other listeners. This feeling was particularly common among attendees who found the music expressive, emotional, or aesthetic. 


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