Musik und Suizidalität: Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven
Julia Heimerdinger, Hannah Riedl, Thomas Stegemann (Hg.)
September 20, 2025, 11:45 a.m. Joseph Haydn-Saal
Anton-von-Webern-Platz 1, 1030 Wien
Suicidal tendencies are a common theme in countless songs, opera arias, and instrumental pieces—such as in the infamous suicide song “Gloomy Sunday.” Current academic and popular science debates are discussing the extent to which music influences actual suicidal behavior, whether as a risk factor or a protective factor. The contributions to this volume, which were presented to the public at the symposium “Music and Suicidal Tendencies” at the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna in 2022, take up these debates. For the first time, this volume brings together cultural-historical, empirical, medical, and therapeutic perspectives in order to further establish the discourse on this still taboo subject and expand it with insights from practice.
With contributions by Andy R. Brown, Julia Heimerdinger, Susanne Korn, Thomas Macho, Paul Plener, Claudius Stein, Benedikt Till & Thomas Niederkrotenthaler, Harm Willms, and students of music therapy and instrumental and vocal pedagogy.
As part of the conference Science and Sounds
Musik und Suizidalität: Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven edited by Julia Heimerdinger, Hannah Riedl, and Thomas Stegemann was published by mdwPress in May 2025.
Photo: Private
