AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new music program formed by Dell Medical School, UT Health Austin and Ascension Seton was launched Monday.

It’s called the Red River Ensemble — an orchestra that aims to fill hospital halls with music. The orchestra will practice and perform at Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas at Austin.

Violinist David Bernat and Pianist Elias Dagher currently make up the ensemble, which was established by Mark Bernat, who recently joined Dell Medical School as the new director of music services. Anyone affiliated with UT is eligible to join the program, he said.

“The idea is that music speaks to so many people that in some ways, it’s medicinal … so anybody that’s recovering from, whether it’s a stroke or other heart surgeries, they seem to recover a lot faster when there’s music involved,” he said.

Bernat is hoping to have as many free concerts as possible for patients and families trying to be there for their loved ones in the hospital.

“There’s really not much else to do here besides eat and watch television, so this is a great way for about an hour to take them away from their serious issues that might be going on within their family or with themselves, and just get away and have a moment of peace and tranquility,” he said.

The dedication of the Red River Ensemble kicked off with a performance featuring works from Mozart, Schumann, Ravel and Bartok.