Indre Viskontas

Neuroscientist & Opera Singer

Sometimes where you end up when you jump is a much more interesting place than where you would have been had you continued walking along the path.

About Indre

I grew up surrounded by music, but it never seemed like something I would be able to make a career out of.
As a child of immigrants, it was always very important to my family that I pursue a stable career.
In high school, I was inspired by the books of neurologist Oliver Sacks—I found the subject matter very interesting and it seemed like a good career that my parents would be supportive of.
I earned my bachelor’s degree and went on to earn my Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience—throughout this whole time in my life, I kept my interests in neuroscience and music very separate.
After working so hard to earn my Ph.D., I wanted to devote time to the part of myself that was a musician and artist, so I went back to school to earn a master’s degree in vocal performance.
Once I combined my passions, I found that each enhanced my understanding of the other—applying neuroscience to music made me a better performer while music helped me better understand the human brain.
I’m currently a professor at San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the University of San Francisco as well as the creative director of Pasadena Opera.
Additionally, I host a podcast about science and society called Inquiring Minds.