St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation supports an innovative collaboration between geriatrician Dr. Julia Chabot and pianist Alexandra Stréliski – bringing virtual reality concerts to patients as a research-based tool for healing.
Montréal, April 8, 2026 – As part of her ongoing research into the effects of music, Dr. Julia Chabot, in collaboration with pianist and composer Alexandra Stréliski, is announcing today the launch of a virtual reality concert project at St. Mary’s Hospital Centre. This immersive experience combines the beauty of art, the compassion of medicine, the rigour of science and the accessibility of virtual technologies, working together for the benefit of our society.
This technological initiative aims to showcase the potential of this type of intervention, with the hope that it may someday become a standard of care in healthcare settings and beyond. For this inaugural series of virtual concerts, Dr. Julia Chabot has teamed up with Alexandra Stréliski, whose music has touched the hearts of many, and director Guillaume Lonergan (Empathie).
Arts and health: towards a new model of care
Supported by the St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation and executive produced by Comme C’est Beau, an artist management company in the music industry, this applied research initiative is paving the way for new forms of collaboration between arts and healthcare. It is part of a broader vision: to provide patients with the opportunity to experience a concert as a way to escape from the everyday, to refocus or to simply enjoy the healing benefits of music.
St. Mary’s Hospital Centre, a facility that is part of the CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, is proud to be a leader in therapeutic innovation and supports this promising initiative.
A research-based approach
Dr. Julia Chabot, a former classical singer, is a geriatrician at St. Mary’s Hospital Centre, President of the Association des médecins gériatres du Québec and recipient of the 2026 Marthe-Pelland Award presented by the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec (FMSQ). The focus of her work is on studying the effects of music on pain, anxiety and quality of life. Having trained under Professor Isabelle Peretz, co-founder of BRAMS (International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research), she strives to translate scientific knowledge into practical interventions that can benefit the healthcare system.
Adapting how we deliver medical care is no longer an option, but a responsibility. Research is essential for proving the scientific validity of innovative approaches and guiding our clinical practices. That said, adding music to our therapeutic toolkit enables us to provide high-quality, compassionate care that is tailored to the needs of our patients.
– Dr. Julia Chabot, geriatrician, St. Mary’s Hospital Centre and President of the Association des médecins gériatres du Québec
Photo credit: Comme C’est Beau
Photo credit: Comme C’est Beau
It is also thanks to visionary seed funding from the Grace Dart Foundation that the project’s research focus was made possible, with the virtual reality concerts serving as a tangible, documented and measurable first step. Because music transcends linguistic, cultural and generational barriers, this approach is particularly well-suited to the multicultural population served by St. Mary’s Hospital Centre. Indeed, this commitment to uniting innovation and compassion is championed with deep conviction by the hospital’s Foundation.
At the St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation, we believe that care extends beyond diagnosis. Through philanthropy, we are able to meaningfully enhance the hospital experience beyond basic care in order to better serve our community. This project is a shining example of how we bring the Foundation’s mission to life by delivering thoughtful innovation directly to patients. Here, technology and music become tools that provide comfort and connection, supporting dignity and well-being.
– Nadia Wendowsky, CFRE, President and CEO, St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation
The dream of creating a catalogue of virtual reality concerts to heal
With this first virtual reality concert by pianist Alexandra Stréliski, Dr. Chabot is launching the creation of a catalogue of virtual reality concerts. The goal of the catalogue is to build a collection of musical experiences, allowing anyone to have access to music that resonates with their life experience and needs. Accessible via VR headset, the catalogue supports patients throughout their care journey. Beyond the hospital setting, it will also be available to anyone seeking to relax and recenter. The project also paves the way for a new form of cultural distribution, enhancing the discoverability and profile of Quebec and Canadian artists. Alexandra Stréliski is the initiative’s very first collaborator.
A profoundly human artistic approach
A profoundly human artistic approach
Alexandra Stréliski, whose music has been streamed more than 650 million times, generously joined this project. Moved by accounts of music’s soothing and transformative effects, she feels honoured to contribute to Dr. Julia Chabot’s work.
For several years now, I’ve been getting messages from people telling me that my music helps them navigate life’s challenges. I find it remarkable that people like Dr. Julia Chabot are advancing scientific research on the tangible effects of music on our well-being. Beyond helping individuals, I believe this can also help us, as a society, rethink the role of arts and artists not simply as entertainment, but as something essential.
– Alexandra Stréliski, pianist, composer and creative collaborator
This immersive concert was directed by Guillaume Lonergan (Empathie). The project, produced by Comme C’est Beau, was filmed at the Bureau Estrien de l’Audiovisuel et du Multimédia (BEAM), in Saint-Adrien, and also features the Quatuor Esca.
Credits and partners
- Project developed and funded by the St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation
- Scientific research: Dr. Julia Chabot, Geriatrician at St. Mary’s Hospital Centre, Associate Scientist at the St. Mary’s Research Centre and President of the Association des médecins gériatres du Québec
- Seed funding for the research component: Grace Dart Foundation
- Executive producer : Comme C’est Beau (Emmanuelle Girard & Gaëlle Graton)
- Collaborating artist: Alexandra Stréliski
- Featuring the music of: Quatuor Esca
- Director: Guillaume Lonergan
- Director of photography: Vincent Gonneville
- VR expert (recording, editing and post-production): Clément Desjardins (Réalité virtuelle eboo)
- Ambisonic recording: André Lavergne (Réalité virtuelle eboo)
- Sound recording and mixing: Francis Major
- Audio post-production: La Majeure
- Line producer: Philippe Archambault (Agence Elliott)
- Filming location: Le BEAM (Bureau estrien de l’audiovisuel et du multimédia)
