40Hz – Music & Neuroscience Research

40Hz – Open Call 2026

Music, Listening and Neuroscience Research

Casa degli Artisti is pleased to announce the Open Call 2026 for the selection of six artists who will take part in the second phase of the 40Hz project, an interdisciplinary research initiative dedicated to exploring the relationship between music, neuroscience and psychophysical wellbeing.

40Hz is a research platform developed at Casa degli Artisti in Milan, focused on the study of sound frequencies and listening processes, with particular attention to sub frequencies around 40 Hz. The project examines how specific acoustic conditions influence perception, attention, emotional regulation and cognitive states, through the integration of musical composition, immersive listening environments and neuroscientific observation.

The artistic direction of Phase 2 of the project is entrusted to IDRA and Brail. IDRA, Francesca Pavesi, sound artist and ambient musician, has developed over the years a compositional research focused on immersive soundscapes and experimental listening techniques. Within the 40Hz project, she has continued and deepened this work through a path oriented toward music therapy, shaping a practice that brings together musical composition, listening experience and therapeutic dimension. Brail, Iacopo Sinigaglia, producer and sound designer, has likewise continued his exploration of sub frequencies within his own productions, consolidating a technical and musical research centered on low frequencies and their perceptual impact. Their artistic direction ensures methodological continuity, technical depth and a musical vision fully aligned with the scientific objectives of the project.

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Project context and scientific framework

The 40Hz project is situated within a growing body of international research highlighting the positive interaction between rhythmic stimulation, specific frequencies and brain activity. Studies conducted by institutions such as MIT and the University of Toronto have examined the effects of 40 Hz stimulation in relation to neurodegenerative conditions, anxiety states and sensory processing. More recent research from the Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro has further investigated the influence of sound and music on cellular vitality and behavioral responses, opening relevant perspectives for therapeutic sound applications.

Within this framework, 40Hz operates both as an artistic research environment and as a scientific laboratory, where musical practices are observed through rigorous and ecologically grounded experimental protocols.

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Phase 1 results

Phase 1 of the project, developed throughout 2025, confirmed the methodological robustness and coherence of the research framework. Six artistic residencies were carried out at the Musical Atelier of Casa degli Artisti, each embedded within a shared scientific structure and supported by an experienced producer.

Throughout the residencies, open studios, live performances and public listening sessions, the project collected more than 250 paired psychological questionnaires and multichannel EEG recordings using wearable devices. Data analysis revealed consistent variations in perceived wellbeing, attentional focus and listening immersion, confirming measurable effects associated with specific low frequency sound environments.

A decisive contribution to the consolidation of these results was provided by the project’s scientific team. The neuroscientist Dr. Sasha D’Ambrosio, affiliated with the University of Milan and UCL, coordinated the scientific framework of 40Hz, overseeing the analysis and interpretation of EEG data and the definition of neurophysiological observation protocols.

The neuroscientist, Artist and psychologist Dr. Thiago Leiros Costa followed the ongoing relationship with the artists and the analysis of data derived from audience questionnaires, contributing to an integrated reading of subjective experience, musical context and psychophysical response.

This work was further supported by the researchers Simone Frettoli and William Giroldini, who carried out the EEG measurements during listening sessions and who remain actively involved in the project’s data collection activities, ensuring operational continuity, technical accuracy and methodological consistency.

This collaboration enabled a structured integration of musical practices, neuroscientific observation and psychological evaluation tools, providing a solid foundation for a more comparative and causally oriented research phase.

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Open Call 2026 and research objectives

The Open Call 2026 marks the beginning of Phase 2 of the 40Hz project. This new phase focuses on deepening and refining the research through more structured experimental conditions and expanded data collection.

Phase 2 focuses on
• comparative analysis across different frequency ranges
• introduction of placebo and control listening conditions
• precise acoustic measurements and calibration
• dose response evaluation
• extended EEG data collection across multiple sessions
• increased involvement of recurring participant groups

The objective is to strengthen causal correlations between sound parameters and psychophysical responses, while preserving the musical and experiential nature of listening.

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Artistic residencies and working format

Six artists will be selected and will work for a period ranging from two to four weeks, according to project needs and scheduling, within the Musical Atelier of Casa degli Artisti.

Artists are expected to integrate sub frequencies into their compositional practice, to engage in dialogue with the artistic direction, neuroscientists and researchers involved in the project, to take part in EEG data collection sessions and to contribute to public listening events.

Each residency concludes with an Open Studio, conceived as a public presentation and a research moment. In addition to presentations at Casa degli Artisti, selected Open Studios may take place in collaboration with partner venues, allowing the research to unfold across different acoustic and architectural contexts.

During the residency period, artists participate in collective meetings, organizational sessions and moments of exchange with the Casa degli Artisti team, producers and neuroscientists. Studio visits by researchers, cultural operators, journalists and professionals from the scientific and medical fields foster interdisciplinary dialogue and critical exchange.

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Open Studio, public program and partner venues

At the conclusion of the residency cycle, moments of public exchange will take place during Milano Music Week 2026, potentially including live performances and talks. These events reinforce the project’s presence within research oriented cultural and listening contexts and function as live testing environments, expanding the scope of the research and offering artists the opportunity to present their work in qualified listening spaces.

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Conditions and services

Residencies are provided without participation fees. Casa degli Artisti offers access to the Musical Atelier, the technical equipment listed in the technical sheet, communication and press support, technical assistance and support in partner relations.

Artistic research and the works produced remain the property of the artists, with a right of first refusal granted to Casa degli Artisti for future presentations and cultural initiatives. Documentation produced during the project becomes part of the Casa degli Artisti digital archive.

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Eligibility and application

The Open Call is open to composers, musicians and sound artists of all ages, backgrounds and musical languages. Participation requires engagement in a structured artistic and scientific research process centered on listening.

Applications must be submitted online and include
• completed and signed application form
• valid identification document
• motivational letter describing the proposed research project, portfolio and reference links, including an indication of the preferred residency duration

Selection and coordination

Artists are selected by a committee composed of the musical coordination of Casa degli Artisti, the artistic direction led by IDRA and Brail and the project partners. Selection results are communicated directly to all applicants.

The overall coordination of the 40Hz project is led by Francesco Piccolomini Bandini.

For further information
opencall@casadegliartisti.org