Did you know that classical music has a lot of health benefits? Well, before you turn around and say ‘everything nowadays seems to have health benefits’ read on as I (well international rising Opera Star, soprano Jelena Stefanic) plead this classical case.

But before we get started, just a little background on Ms Jelena and why she’s best placed to share with you the benefits of listening to classical music. She recently announced her arrival in Dubai and she’s preparing for her series of concerts in-country and the entire region. During her stay in Dubai, the Croatian-born Soprano plans to create more awareness about opera music among the young audiences as she feels that it is slowly losing its interest among the younger generation (wouldn’t you agree?). Additionally, she has years of experience in Opera and has performed in some of the biggest opera houses in the world such as Vienna, London and Tokyo.

“For me, classical music and singing is not just my job, it is my passion. It brings me to a new dimension. Of Course, it has also a soothing power and has a unique link to our emotions, so it can be an extremely effective stress management tool for me as a performer and also for the audience,” says Jelena.

Jelena’s Top 4 Health Benefits of Listening to Classical Music:

It can decrease blood pressure

A study by Oxford University found that participants who listened to classical music had significantly lower blood pressure levels than participants who did not hear any music. Apparently listening to music by Mozart and Strauss for 25 minutes lowered blood pressure substantially in the participants who took part in a study. Researchers suggested that, in order for music to reduce blood pressure, it should have no lyrics, have few changes in volume or rhythm, have harmonies that ‘are not rousing’, and that certain parts of the music should be repeated in intervals.

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It’s a natural pain reliever

When listening to music we can get carried away in the melody, but a study in 2006 found that groups of people that suffered chronic pain felt less pain post listening to classical music than those who didn’t. Researchers suggest that music empowers patients recovering from surgery and even encourage nurses to use it as a rehabilitation tool; music has been known to increase the brain’s rewards centre that helps to ease the pain. (Goodbye Brufen!)

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It reduces stress levels

It is a difficult task to keep stress levels low in this day and age and while some turn to yoga others turn to music and have been able to reduce their stress levels just by putting on some Tchaikovsky. Scientists say that classical music may help reduce stress by lowering cortisol levels in the body and in one study, pregnant women reported that listening to classical music every week relieved their stress and anxiety. Not only was this found beneficial to expectant mothers but also to hospital patients who noticed a reduction in anxiety pre and post-surgery.

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It aids sleep

Forget your whale sounds; instead, remember to wind down before heading to bed by listening to classical music. If you listen to your favourite piece for around 45 minutes before you hit the hay, it can help improve sleep quality. Several studies have noted that the tempo of the music matters and that the ideal rhythm to prepare for some good quality sleep is around 60 beats per minute. So we’d perhaps avoid Rimsky Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee if we were you and instead maybe opt for Bach’s Prelude No1.

Ok Beethoven and Franz Schubert, here I come! Are you a fan of classical music? Feel free to share in the comments.