Bridges of Music: The 13th European Music Therapy Conference at the HfMT Hamburg

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When the corridors of the Hamburg University of Music and Drama become quiet after the summer semester, the creative break usually begins - but this year everything was different. As soon as the last exams were over, the HfMT at the Außenalster site was transformed into an international congress center: the stage was set for the 13th European Music Therapy Conference (EMTC), which took place in Germany for the first time and brought together science, art and encounters under the motto "Bridges" from 23 to 27 July 2025.

The conference was organized by the Deutsche Musiktherapeutische Gesellschaft e.V. (DMtG) in cooperation with the MSH Medical School Hamburg and the HfMT Hamburg. The eight pre-conferences (July 21-23) at the MSH locations Harburg and HafenCity already showed the great interest: international guests, full rooms and intensive discussions. Meanwhile, the set-up work at the HfMT was in full swing - two truckloads of technology, 200 additional chairs and countless helping hands made the university ready for the congress.

A total of 848 participants from over 30 countries came to Hamburg, 741 of them on site and 107 online. In addition to music therapists from Europe, representatives from North and South America, Australia and Southeast Asia also took part. The event was already fully booked by the end of March - impressive proof of the international importance of the field and the high profile of Hamburg as a location.

The motto "Bridges" was emblematic of the entire conference: bridges between disciplines, perspectives and cultures. Daily keynotes on the topics of "Music therapy and psychotherapy research", "Music therapy in society", "Medicine and music psychology for music therapy" in a trio format, in which an external personality gave an impulse to which two music therapists from different disciplines responded. The scientific program was complemented by over 400 contributions - lectures, roundtables, workshops, symposia and around 70 poster presentations, which transformed the corridors of the HfMT into a lively research landscape.

In addition to the intensive academic work, music and encounters were not neglected: the musical salon on the history of the Budge-Palais, a Beatles walk, guided tours of the Elbphilharmonie and a Jewish city walk offered the participants cultural highlights. The Opening Ceremony on Wednesday evening and the Closing Ceremony with a panel discussion on the role of artificial intelligence in artistic therapies provided the festive setting. The aims of the conference were international exchange, the promotion of young scientists and the strengthening of music therapy in countries where it is still being developed. Thanks to graduated participation fees and the support of the Friends of the HfMT, representatives from low-income countries and crisis regions were also able to take part - a strong sign of solidarity in action.

For the HfMT, holding an international specialist congress of this size was an organizational first. Thanks to the excellent cooperation of all participating departments, numerous students and a dedicated organizational team under the outstanding coordination of Kaja Gerken (HfMT), the conference ran smoothly. The feedback from the participants was overwhelmingly positive: the warm atmosphere, the excellent technical implementation and the inspiring variety of content were particularly emphasized.

The EMTC was accompanied by extensive public relations work to advance the professional policy dialog in Germany - especially with regard to a state-regulated professional code of conduct for music therapists. A digital press conference with over 80 participants as well as daily "lunchtime talks" in German made central topics of music therapy accessible to a wider public.

The conference was supported by the Friends of the HfMT Foundation, the Heidehof Foundation, the German Research Foundation, the Hamburg Ministry of Science, Research, Equality and Districts, the Andreas Tobias Kind Foundation and the Krosche Children's Foundation. Partners included Thomann, GEWA and the BGW.
All scientific contributions are published in the digital abstract volume.