EMSOC: A Tradition of European Unity through Music and Medicine
Since the early 1990s, musically gifted medical students and young doctors from across Europe have been gathering to celebrate their shared passions for music and medicine. This tradition began with the European Medical Students’ Orchestra (EMSO), founded in Würzburg, Germany, in 1993, and the European Medical Students’ Choir (EMSC), established in London, England, in 1996. In 2009, these two groups united to form the European Medical Students’ Orchestra and Choir (EMSOC), holding a series of inaugural concerts in Ljubljana and Piran, Slovenia. Since then, with the exception of 2020 due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, EMSOC has organised an annual 10-day meeting where participants bond through music and cultural exchange.
EMSOC’s mission goes beyond music; it aims to strengthen European unity by fostering a shared European spirit and identity. Each year, a new host country’s local organizing committee, appointed by EMSOC’s International Council, plans a programme that highlights the country’s musical heritage and cultural treasures. These immersive experiences include exploring UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Český Krumlov or St. Barbara’s Cathedral in the Czech Republic, hiking in the Swiss Alps or Swedish forests, solving clue-based quizzes along Dutch canals, experiencing Granada’s Alhambra or Germany’s Wattenmeer, relaxing in the thermal baths of Poça da Dona Beija or visiting the caldeiras of Furnas in Portugal’s Azores. These experiences allow participants to connect across nationalities, ages, and cultures, forming lifelong friendships.
The core of each EMSOC event remains the intensive musical collaboration, with approximately 120 participants from over 25 European countries rehearsing together in a symphonic orchestra and choir. These gatherings culminate in two charity concerts supporting causes chosen by the organising committee, typically connected to medicine in one way or another. EMSOC’s commitment to societal impact is twofold: it offers audiences exceptional musical experiences while contributing to important local initiatives.
With over 25 years of fostering European unity through music and medicine, EMSOC continues to thrive, uniting Europe, one note at a time. Music connects Europe, and EMSOC is happy to contribute. Join us on this remarkable journey!
European Medical Students’ Orchestra and Choir
2024 Prague/Litomyšl/ Kutná Hora, Czech Republic
2023 São Miguel, Azores, Portugal
2022 Uppsala/Stockholm, Sweden
2021 Kiel/Lübeck, Germany
2020 COVID
2019 Granada, Spain
2018 The Hague / Leiden / Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2017 St. Moritz / Basel / Geneva, Switzerland
2016 Prague / Brno, Czech Republic
2015 Warsaw, Poland
2014 Bilbao, Spain
2013 Szeged, Hungary
2012 Rijeka, Croatia
2011 Giessen, Germany
2010 Manchester, United Kingdom
2009 Ljubljana, Slovenia
European Medical Students’ Orchestra
2008 Rome, Italy
2007 Szolnok / Szeged, Hungary
2006 Bristol, United Kingdom
2005 Oslo, Norway
2004 Poznan / Gdansk, Poland
2003 Prague, Czech Republic
2002 Budapest / Szeged, Hungary
2001 Oporto / Salamanca, Portugal / Spain
2000 Basel, Switzerland
1999 Aberdeen, United Kingdom
1998 Stockholm, Sweden
1997 Barcelona, Spain
1996 Ljubljana, Slovenia
1995 Oxford / London, United Kingdom
1994 Freiburg, Germany
1993 Würzburg, Germany
European Medical Students’ Choir
2004 (Easter) Heidelberg, Germany
2003 (Easter) Porto, Portugal
2002 (Easter) Berlin, Germany
2001 (Autumn) Edinburgh, United Kingdom
2001 (Easter) Riga, Latvia
2000 (Autumn) Warsaw, Poland
2000 (Easter) Valladolid, Spain
1999 (Easter) Stockholm, Sweden
1998 (Autumn) Budapest, Hungary
1998 (Easter) Ljubljana, Slovenia
1997 Berlin, Germany
1996 London, United Kingdom
