Joan Valls, pediatrician at Barcelona Hospital, found a unique way to unite his two great passions: music and medicine. At 26 years old, this young Spaniard has won the hearts of patients and colleagues by transforming moments of pre-operative anxiety into moments of serenity and harmony with the sound of his violin.
Joan’s connection with music began early. At the age of six, inspired by his cousins’ violin concerts, he asked his mother to enroll him in music classes. His passion for the instrument accompanied him over the years, even when he pursued a medical career.
At the hospital, Joan decided to use the violin as a tool to calm children and parents in moments of high tension before surgery. One of his first experiences, which he remembers fondly, was with a nervous father and son before an operation. “As I played for them, I saw fear and anxiety give way to a smile and a moment of peace. That’s when I realized the impact that music can have on emotional healing”, says Joan.
Since then, the violin has become a regular presence in operating rooms. For Joan, music is an extension of medicine, a way of treating not only the body, but also the spirit. “Music also heals”, he states, summarizing the essence of his work.
The violinist pediatrician became an inspiration for many, showing that empathy and creativity can make all the difference in the hospital experience.
