Presides Giovanni Broggi Charles Limb (Johns Hopkins University) Neuroscience and musical creativity Giuseppe Scotti (Humanitas Research Hospital) Marco Riva (Università degli Studi Milano) Improvisation and creativity: a brain session Patrik Vuilleumier (Università di Ginevra) Dynamics of brain activities during music listening and performance Paolo Fresu The improvisation in my opinion Antonio Camurri (Università di Genova-Casa Paganini) Empathy, emotions and music Leo Nahon (Ospedale Niguarda Ca’ Granda) Improvisation and free associations: inspiration and conflict with a special introduction by Francesco Micheli