About World Doctors Orchestra
Founded in 2008, the World Doctors Orchestra has grown from 60 participants from 12 countries to more than 2,000 doctors from 60 countries. By 2025, WDO has performed over 48 concert sessions all over the world, raising over $2.4 million for medical charities.
Four times a year, about 100 physicians from numerous countries meet for several days of intensive rehearsals to then exchange their white coats for evening attire and perform unique charity concerts. The proceeds from each concert session go to selected local non-profits.
The WDO is an independent non-profit organization driven by the spirit of the orchestra members. The participants cover their own travel expenses as well as donate towards the session’s expenses. Local expenses are kept as low as possible. Although all of the physicians share a passion for music, the driving force behind WDO is the conviction that neither national borders nor political or economic interests should limit access to adequate healthcare. With its series of concerts, WDO strives to raise global awareness that healthcare is a basic human right and a precondition for human development.
The Chicago concert proceeds will benefit two Chicago non-profit organizations; Chi-Care and UIHealth’s COIP (Community outreach and intervention project). Chi-Care brings warm meals and medical care to Chicago’s poor and unhoused and COIP is a non profit group focusing on providing healthcare for the same population.