Music & Mindfulness
Thu Apr 7, 2022 | 7pm CT
Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra musicians Emily Switzer, violin and Esther Seitz, cello join Mariann Johnson, University of Minnesota Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing Mindfulness and Wellbeing Instructor, to explore music and mindfulness through performances and engaging dialogue.
A Few Things to Know
- Choose whether you’d like to sit onstage or in the auditorium as you practice a mindful approach to listening to music. No prior experience with mindfulness or special attire is needed.
- This series is presented in collaboration with the University of Minnesota’s Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing
- The Bakken Center is actively involved in mindfulness research, including multi-year studies funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Mariann Johnson
wellbeing and mindfulness instructor
Esther Seitz
cello
Emily Switzer
violin
Mariann Johnson is a wellbeing and mindfulness instructor for the University of Minnesota’s Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing. She has studied and practiced mindfulness meditation for over 25 years and is a certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction instructor through Brown University’s Mindfulness Center. Since 2012, Mariann has taught mindfulness programs throughout the United States and consulted on the design of mindful leadership and mindfulness-at-work programs in corporate, professional, and academic settings. Before dedicating her professional life to teaching mindfulness, Mariann served as an organization development consultant and mediator, working with leaders of Fortune 500 companies, government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Her writings on mindful leadership have appeared in the Huffington Post and Mindful Magazine.
Cellist Esther Seitz was brought up in a musical home and immersed in music from a young age. She fell in love with the cello at the age of 8 and subsequently began her studies of the instrument. She is now proud to be the third generation of professional musicians in her family. Currently based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, she holds a position as a Rosemary and David Good Fellow with the Minnesota Orchestra.
A passionate chamber musician, Seitz is a co-founder of Bowery Trio, which was formed in 2019. As an ethnically and culturally diverse ensemble, Bowery Trio has a mission of focusing on uplifting composers from various backgrounds through performance and education. The Trio has been awarded multiple grants to support their current projects.
Violinist Emily Switzer is a 2019 graduate of the Yale School of Music and 2017 graduate of Yale University. Former co-concertmaster of the Yale Symphony Orchestra, she is a winner of the 2015 Friends of Music Recital Competition, the 2016 William Waite Competition and a recipient of the 2016 Sharp Prize for Music. She has performed with numerous orchestras including the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Lakewood Symphony, Denver Philharmonic, Littleton Symphony and Yale Symphony Orchestra. In January 2022, she performed with the Yale Philharmonia as a winner of the 2019 Woolsey Concerto Competition. Switzer joined the second violin section of the Minnesota Orchestra in September 2019.
Accessibility Services
- Assistive Listening Devices
- Service Animals
- Wheelchair & Accessible Seating
Additional services are available upon request.
