Authors

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Gry Sagmo Aglen is Associate Professor of Music at the University of Inland Norway. She is a flautist and teacher educator and has a master’s degree in choral conducting. In 2022, Aglen defended her PhD thesis The School of Music and Performing Arts Teacher Profession (kulturskolelærerprofesjonen) in Motion – An Emergence of New Professions? A Qualitative Study of how the Field of Education Understands the School of Music and Performing Arts and the School of Music and Performing Arts Teaching Profession. In her thesis she examines how universities seek to qualify their students for kulturskole teaching and how the link between the university and professional practice field is forged through the practicum training offered. Her research interests concern music teacher education, supervision, professional understanding, and practice architectures. Aglen teaches and supervises students in various music didactic subjects at bachelor's and master's level. She is vice-chair of the Nordic network for kulturskole-related research.

Enric Aragonès Jové is a professor in the Department of Education and Artistic Mediation at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC). He holds a higher degree in music pedagogy (ESMUC) and a master’s in public management (UAB, UB, UPF). His work focuses on music education and cultural participation, combining teaching, institutional development, management, and consultancy. He has previously held roles at Taller de Músics ESEM and the Escola Municipal de Música – Centre de les Arts (EMMCA) in L’Hospitalet. He served as director of the Educació 360 Alliance (Catalonia). As a consultant, he has collaborated with public institutions such as Barcelona City Council, the Diputació de Barcelona, the Catalan Ministry of Culture, and the Catalan Council for Culture and the Arts.

Maria Argyriou (postdoc, PhD) is a member of the laboratory teaching staff in Applied Music Pedagogy at the Department of Pre-school Education and Educational Design, University of the Aegean, Greece. She holds a PhD in Cultural Policy and Music Education from the Ionian University, as well as two master’s degrees in education, including educational leadership and school evaluation. Her research focuses on music pedagogy, cultural policy, early childhood arts education, multimodality, inclusion, and community-based cultural learning. She is co-editor of the open-access Hellenic Journal of Music, Education, and Culture and Editor-in-Chief of Music in the First Grade. In 2024, she received the Kiveli–Y. Horn Scholarship/Special Grant from the Lilian Voudouri Music Library of Greece for archival research on children’s songs from the archive of composer and pedagogue Minos Dounias. She actively participates in international academic and professional networks, including the International Society for Music Education (ISME PRIME) and the European Music Council (EMC).

Hanna Backer Johnsen is a doctoral researcher at the Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, Finland. Her research focuses on social justice and equity in music education, particularly from the perspective of young people and families from diverse backgrounds. She critically explores students' voices, radical inclusion, belonging, and social innovation within the Finnish music school system. A key component of her doctoral work is the Floora project (2013–2023), which aimed to improve accessibility for new student groups in Finnish music schools. Backer Johnsen is a member of the Nordic research network for kulturskole-related research (Cutting Edge) and the European doctoral and postdoctoral network for music and art school research. Recently, she has also been active in developing the pilot project Responsibility Agents with adolescents in the municipality of Raseborg, Finland. The project aims to enhance young people's local and democratic participation, dialogue, and community action through arts-based methods and reflections.

Bjørn-Terje Bandlien (PhD) is an Associate Professor of Music at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Department of Teacher Education. His research focuses on music teaching and learning, music teacher professions, and interprofessional and interinstitutional collaborations in arts education. Drawing on a range of critical and constructive theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches, his work explores educational, inclusive, and creative dimensions of music education. In recent years, he has focused particularly on collaboration between municipal schools of music and performing arts (kulturskoler) and compulsory schools.

Panagiotis Loukas Bellos serves as a music teacher and vice-principal at the Music School of Rhodes. He is a PhD candidate in folklore in the Department of Elementary Education at the University of the Aegean. He holds an integrated master’s degree in the field of arts and music, with a specialisation in music education, and a master’s degree in from the University of the Aegean, for which he wrote his thesis on “Models for the Design and Development of Educational Units". He has completed annual training programmes in special education, school psychology, and pedagogical training and has attended various training courses and seminars. Bellos has taught at the Public Institute of Vocational Training (IEK), Rhodes, and at a second chance school. Ηe participates in the organisation of educational activities, festivals, and concerts, and serves as secretary general of the Federation of Cultural Associations of Rhodes.

Renata Bilbokaitė (PhD), Professor of Education and Director of the Šiauliai Academy of Vilnius University, is the author of more than 150 academic publications and co-author of 45 books on sustainability. Her research focuses on aspects of strategic and quality management in educational institutions (self-assessment, monitoring, improvement); the didactics of sustainable education, STEAM, and natural science and music education; and the application of visualisation in education. 

Hilde Synnøve Blix is Professor of Aural Skills and Music Education at UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Academy of Music. She holds a degree in musicology from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and earned her PhD in music education from the Norwegian Academy of Music. Her research interests include music education, ear training, sight-reading, and gender and equality in music. She leads the research group InOvation at UiT and has worked as a secondary professor (Professor II) at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences. She has published numerous research articles and books both nationally and internationally, covering topics ranging from ear training didactics to gender equality and artistic research. In 2021, she was awarded the Equality Prize by the Norwegian Society of Composers for her work in promoting gender equality and balance in the creative music field. 

Christian Braun is a board member of the Swiss Association of Music Schools (responsible for education) and has been head of the St. Gallen City Music School for ten years. He holds degrees in music education, cultural management, and school development. In recent years, he has also undertaken further training in design thinking, future-oriented thinking and agile methods. In his view, the central task of school development is to have a significant impact on pupils. He has shown that this can be achieved in numerous participatory workshops at music schools, for organisations and at music academies. Since 2025, his "School Development" workshop has been part of the "Managing Cultural and Educational Institutions" course at the Lucerne School of Music (HSLU).

Desiree Calzavara is an Italian cellist, educator, and researcher specialising in inclusive music education. She earned academic diplomas in both modern and baroque cello from Italian conservatories and holds a bachelor's degree in Interfaces and Communication Technologies from the University of Trento, with a thesis on the relationship between music and language. She also completed a first-level master's as an academic tutor specialised in inclusive music education at LUMSA University. She is currently a PhD candidate in education and social sciences at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, focusing on the professionalisation of instrumental music teachers. Calzavara teaches cello at lower secondary school level and coordinates music programmes, promoting inclusive practices and ensemble-based learning. She collaborates with higher education institutions on teacher education activities and is particularly interested in inclusive approaches to instrumental music teaching. As a performer, she is active in orchestral and chamber music on both modern and baroque cello.

William J. Coppola is Associate Professor and Chair of Music Teaching and Learning at the USC Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles, CA, USA. His research examines the ethics of superiority, elitism, and exclusion in music teaching, learning, and performance contexts. His latest book, Egotism, Elitism, and the Ethics of Musical Humility, was published by Oxford University Press in 2025. His select research has also been published in the Philosophy of Music Education Review; Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education; Journal of Research in Music Education; Research Studies in Music Education; Music Education Research; Arts Education Policy Review; and others. Prof. Coppola is chair-elect of the Philosophy Special Interest Research Group (SRIG) for the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) in the United States. He was previously an elementary music teacher for New York City Public Schools.

Ana Čorić is a senior lecturer at the Music Education Department, Academy of Music, University of Zagreb. She is currently pursuing a PhD in education at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences where her research focuses on higher music education and the civic dimension of musicians' professional identity. With interests spanning artistic citizenship, university’s civic mission, community music/music mediation, and interdisciplinarity, she has extensive experience in developing participatory programmes for different audiences, as well as in international projects (AEC, Ethno Research, B-air Infinity Radio). She also serves as a lecturer at the Storytelling Academy in Zagreb and a music mediator at the kULTRA Music Festival in Makarska.

Andrea Ćoso, MA, was born in Kotor, Montenegro, and received her elementary and secondary education at the Vida Matjan music school. In 2007, she graduated from the Music Academy in Cetinje with a diploma in music pedagogy. Since 2008, she has been teaching music theory subjects at Vida Matjan. She completed her master’s studies in solfeggio teaching methodology in 2013, under the supervision of Dr. Vedrana Marković. Ćoso has presented her work at national and international scientific conferences. She is the author of several articles on solfeggio teaching methodology that have been published in leading journals on the topic. She is also the co-author of book sets for first-, second-, third- and fourth-grade music school students (Music Steps 1–4) as well as Solfeggio I and II for secondary music education.

Thomas De Baets is Professor of Music Education at LUCA School of Arts and KU Leuven, Belgium, where he leads the Music Education expertise team. He holds a master's degree in Music Education (2005), a teaching degree, a degree of Advanced Studies in Music Education (2008), and a PhD in Music Education (2012). He is currently on the steering committee of TEAM (Erasmus+ Teacher Education Academy for Music). He is Co-Editor-in-Chief of Music Education Research (Taylor & Francis), and an honorary member of the European Association for Music in Schools (EAS).

Amber Deckers is a PhD researcher at LUCA School of Arts, Associated Faculty of the Arts, KU Leuven, Belgium. She holds a bachelor’s degree in music education (2019), an Master of Education in music and drama (2021), and a master’s degree in cultural management (2023). Deckers has worked as a music and musical theatre teacher, as a vocal coach, and a choir leader. At Musica Impulse Centre, she contributed to educational and participatory musical projects. At LUCA, she is a thesis supervisor for the Master of Education in Performing Arts. Her research interests include creativity, participation, amateur choirs, general music education and choral pedagogy. 

Nikolay Demerdzhiev was born in Burgas, Bulgaria. He completed his bachelor’s degree at the National Music Academy in Sofia, then pursued further studies in viola and later in musicology in Austria. He earned his doctorate at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna under Otto Hofecker, focusing on music education in Bulgaria. After his PhD, he taught at the Bach Music School in Vienna (2008–2010) and later in Japan. From 2013 to 2018, he helped establish the Bach Music School in Hong Kong. He then held a postdoctoral position at the Education University in Perak, Malaysia (2018–2019), before returning to Hong Kong. Demerdzhiev is currently a music teacher at the Lutheran Academy, a leading IB school. His research focuses on gifted education and music pedagogy, with interests spanning K–12 and undergraduate music education, music school research, and historical approaches to teaching music. He is also a violist in the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong.

Vassilis Digos is a classical guitarist, musicologist, and music educator. He holds a PhD in historical and systematic musicology from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, where his doctoral research examined the position of the classical guitar in Greece during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. His academic background also includes postgraduate studies in classical guitar performance at the University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar and in Music Pedagogy at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Alongside his research activity, he maintains an international performing career, with appearances at major concert venues and collaborations with orchestras and broadcasting organisations including Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) and the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT). He was the first classical guitarist to represent Greece at Eurovision Young Musicians. Digos currently teaches classical guitar at conservatories and music schools in Greece, combining artistic practice with research interests in music education, performance, and contemporary musical culture.

Julia Espinet Alegre is an educator, researcher, and musician working at the intersection of music, education, and social justice. She has coordinated and taught music education programmes and community projects in high-complexity schools in Barcelona, where she developed interdisciplinary, arts-based learning approaches. She holds a BA in Music Pedagogy from ESMUC, with a specialisation in early childhood arts education, and an MA in Education Policy and Society from King’s College London, supported by a La Caixa Foundation fellowship. Her research explores access to arts education for migrant families in Catalonia, using qualitative and arts-based methods to examine educational and cultural policy. Alongside her work in Catalonia and the UK, she collaborates on international projects and teacher training initiatives in Mexico, and currently serves as an education advisor with the NGO Red Pioneros in Andalusia.

Erik Esterbauer is Associate Professor for Elemental Music and Dance Pedagogy at the Orff Institute of the Mozarteum University Salzburg. He studied psychology, music theory and composition and elemental music and movement pedagogy. After many years of working as a clinical psychologist, research assistant, and music educator, he became a university assistant (postdoc) at the Department of Music Pedagogy at the Mozarteum University, and assistant professor in the field of Music and Dance in Inclusion and Diversity (MDID). His research currently focuses specifically on inclusive education, music and dance in diversity contexts, contemporary music as well as psychological and artistic issues in the field of music and movement education.

Søren Friis Møller, PhD, MMD, BA, is head of research and competence development at the Association of Danish Music and Culture Schools. He is also an external lecturer at Copenhagen Business School.

Thomas Geudens is programme director of Music and Drama and a postdoctoral researcher at LUCA School of Arts, Associated Faculty of the Arts, KU Leuven, Belgium. Geudens holds a master's degree in Music Education (2012), a teaching degree, a master's in Composition (2014), a bachelor’s in Conducting (2016), and a PhD in the Arts (2025). His research interests include amateur ensembles and art education policy. He has worked for many years as a music teacher in secondary and music schools, and as a music teacher educator. Thomas is currently treasurer of the European Association for Music in Schools (EAS).

Michael Göllner has been Professor of Instrumental and Vocal Pedagogy at the mdw - University of Music and Performing Arts since 2022 and heads the programme of Instrumental and Vocal Pedagogy (IGP) and the corresponding study commission. His research focuses on the interaction between music schools and general schools, teachers' and students' perspectives on music education programs, social aspects of music-making and music learning, as well as enabling participation in musical culture across the lifespan. Göllner is also co-editor of the international journal Beiträge empirischer Musikpädagogik.

Marja Heimonen (Doctor of Music, docent in music education) is a university lecturer in music education at the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki. She teaches research studies and is responsible for courses in music education theory and research, research-based pedagogical projects, and contemporary issues in music education. Heimonen has extensive experience in research and development projects focusing on areas such as music philosophy, cultural diversity, music schools, and accessibility in arts education. She has served as an editor of the Finnish Journal of Music Education, and her research has been published in national and international anthologies, books, and peer-reviewed journals, including Music Education Research, Philosophy of Music Education Review, Arts Education Policy Review, Intercultural Education, Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education, üben & musizieren.research, Nordic Research in Music Education, and Visions of Research on Music Education.

Thomas Albæk Jakobsen is head of Frederikshavn Music School and FilmMaskinen, two key cultural institutions within the municipal Centre for Culture and Citizen Services. His role combines strategic and operational responsibility for developing arts and cultural provision for children, young people, and adults. Alongside daily management, he works with organisational development, facilitation of organisational learning, and cross-sector collaboration across municipal contexts. His work is grounded in close dialogue with leaders and key staff and shaped by local conditions and resource frameworks. He has extensive experience with action research as a driver for practice-based development, co-creation, and organisational learning, and has contributed to scholarly work, including a co-authored book chapter on leadership and sustainable organisational development through reflexive and responsive processes in cultural education. His work encompasses day-to-day practice, development, and public policy, engaging reflexively as a manager in ongoing relational and complex processes he is part of.

Anne Jordhus-Lier is Associate Professor of Music Education at the Norwegian Academy of Music. She has recently been involved in the research project The social dynamics of musical upbringing and schooling in the Norwegian welfare state (DYNAMUS), funded by the Research Council of Norway. Jordhus-Lier is educated as a music teacher and flautist and has worked for several years in compulsory school education and schools of music and arts. She has recently published in the journals Music Education Research, International Journal of Music Education and Research Studies in Music Education. Her research interests revolve around schools of music and arts, children's and young people's access to music activities and music education, cultural and educational policy, discourse theory, and sociology of music education.

Eliise Kannukene is the vice-principal of Tartu I Music School (Estonia), where she has led a school-wide curriculum reform toward learning-outcome-based and learner-centred education. Her work has included organising open teacher training on learning and motivation and coordinating a semester-long development project applying music physiology research to support learners. She has also been engaged with national policy processes led by the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research on quality assessment criteria and qualification requirements in nonformal education. In 2025/26 she participated in the national working group on interpreting the Teacher’s Code of Ethics for nonformal education under the guidance of the University of Tartu Centre for Ethics. Kannukene holds a Master of Music in classical music performance (French horn) from the Sibelius Academy, with minors in pedagogy and arts management. Her final paper used autoethnography to examine ethical dilemmas and learner-centred teaching in refugee education.

Ritva Koistinen is a doctoral student at the University of Eastern Finland with a research focus on the evolving pedagogical culture within Finnish music schools that provide Basic Education in the Arts. Koistinen has a background as a classical pianist and piano teacher. She holds Master of Music degrees from both the Sibelius Academy (2009) and the Manhattan School of Music (2014). From 2011 to 2023 she worked as a lecturer in piano and accompaniment at the Palmgren Conservatory. Currently, Koistinen serves as the vice principal at Kuopio Conservatory. In her free time, she loves to explore the world—both globally through literature and locally by taking small hikes in nearby forests with her two young children.

Anthoula Koliadi-Tiliakou holds a PhD in music education (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), an MA in music education (University of Reading, UK, scholarship from the State Scholarship Foundation), bachelor's degrees in philosophy, pedagogy and psychology, and primary education sciences, a piano teaching diploma (National Conservatory), a fugue diploma (Hellenic Conservatory), and certificates in piano pedagogy and music education for infants and preschoolers. Since 2000, she has worked as a piano teacher (Music School of Rhodes) and general music teacher (pre-school and conservatory). Her activities include publication of articles, participation in conferences, membership of the scientific writing team for the development of new piano curricula in Greek music schools (Institute of Educational Policy), service as deputy secretary of the Scientific Committee for Music Education (Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs), and service as vice-president of the board of directors of the Greek Society for Music Education, where she chairs its working group for music schools.

Nasia Konsta is a PhD candidate in the Department of Music Studies at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. Her research focuses on ethical dilemmas in music education and the role of practical wisdom (phronesis) in teachers' ethical decision-making processes. She has actively participated in national and international academic conferences, presenting papers on topics related to music education. Alongside her research activity, she has served as a music educator in primary and secondary education, as well as in special education. In her teaching practice, she integrates both formal and informal pedagogical approaches, fostering inclusive, meaningful, and student-centred learning experiences.

Julia Katarzyna Leikvoll is an associate professor in music education at the Department of Music at the Grieg Academy, University of Bergen, Norway. She holds an MA in piano performance from the Grieg Academy in Bergen, Norway, an MA in music education from the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, and a PhD in music education and reading science from the University of Stavanger, Norway. Her research interests include notational literacy in music, instrumental education at the beginner level and research literacy in higher education. She has been active as a music educator and piano teacher, pianist, and music education researcher for over 20 years. In addition to research articles, Leikvoll has published several research-based method books for piano students and instrumental teachers, and has given a number of lectures and workshops exploring efficient methods of teaching music reading to beginners.

Chun Li is a doctoral researcher in the Research Study Programme at the Sibelius Academy Doctoral Programme and Research Centre. She holds a Bachelor of Education from East China Normal University and a Master of Education from Beijing Normal University. Her current research, Aesthetic care in music education professionalism: An action research project in a specialist music program in Finland, is funded by an EDUFI Fellowship awarded by the Finnish National Agency for Education and the University of the Arts Helsinki's salaried positions for doctoral researchers.

Federica Marchi is a music teacher and researcher working in the fields of music education, embodied learning, and inclusive pedagogy. With advanced degrees in music education and ongoing studies in pedagogical sciences, her research focuses on self-regulated learning, vocal pedagogy, and participatory approaches to music-making. She has presented her work internationally at ISME and other European conferences, engaging diverse audiences through experiential and collaborative formats. Her educational practice integrates intercultural dialogue, collective creativity, and community-based approaches within formal and nonformal learning contexts. Alongside her research activity, she has extensive experience in teaching and educational project leadership, including the coordination of public music initiatives and the founding of an experimental primary school. Her work is grounded in a strong interest in relational and student-centred learning processes through music.

Vedrana Marković, PhD, is an employee at the University of Montenegro, Music Academy in Cetinje, where she has served as an assistant professor since 2009. She has published one monograph, exercises for solfeggio, book sets for music schools, and around thirty scientific articles. Her special areas of interest include music education for children with visual impairment, implementation of examples from Montenegrin music heritage in music education, and the history of music education in Montenegro. Marković is the author of a teacher professional development programme accredited by the Institute of Education of Montenegro, the national agency responsible for teachers’ professional development and educational quality assurance. She is one of the initiators and founders of SIMPED, an international symposium in the field of music pedagogy organised by the Music Academy in Cetinje. She is also one of the initiators and founders of the Solfest festival which gathers talented students from music schools in Montenegro and the surrounding region.

Judith McGregor studied Instrumental Pedagogy (Viola) at the mdw - University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and completed the master's programme in Music Mediation at the Anton Bruckner Private University Linz. She holds a doctorate from the mdw, where her dissertation examined music mediation in the context of instrumental pedagogy and the reconstruction of a collective professional self-understanding among instrumental teachers. Since 2022, she has been working at the mdw's Department of Music Education Research and Practice. From 2016 to 2022 she held positions at Music & Art Schools Management Lower Austria (MKM), with a focus on music mediation development and teacher training. She also contributes to professional networks and committees at both national and university level, including the Austrian Conference of Music Schools’ (KOMU) federal specialist group for string instruments.

Beatrice McNamara (Dr. phil.) studied music education (Piano) at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München, as well as English and educational sciences at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. She completed her first state examination for secondary school teaching in 2015 and earned a master's degree in music education (LMU) in 2018. She subsequently taught at the Department of Music Education at LMU and worked there as a research associate (2019–2023) with Prof. Dr. Alexandra Kertz-Welzel. She received her PhD in music education in 2024, based on the project “Teaching Music Inclusively” funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. From 2023 to 2025, she taught music and English at a secondary school near Munich. In the 2026 summer semester she is teaching at the Department of Music Education (LMU). From September 2026, she will be teaching at a Gymnasium (secondary school) in Munich.

Katarzyna Musial is a concert pianist, interdisciplinary artist-researcher, and Artistic Director of the Stella Musica Festival (Women in Music). Her doctoral research at Concordia University explores embodied performance, piano-dance integration, and somatic-technological creativity. Her distinguished career includes performances at Carnegie Hall in New York, Place des Arts in Montréal, the Shanghai Oriental Art Center, and the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall. Recognised for her interpretive finesse, she has released acclaimed solo recordings, including My Spanish Heart and Come Dance with Me. She has presented her research at international conferences including APSMER in Australia, ICOAH in Thailand, and EIMAD in Portugal. Bridging artistic practice and research, Musial examines intersections between classical piano, flamenco dance, and technologically mediated performance to advance inclusivity and interdisciplinary dialogue.

Gerson R. Nascimento is a professor and researcher in the Department of Arts (Music Education) at the Faculty of Education of the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (Portugal). He teaches in the undergraduate programmes Music in Community Contexts, Performing Arts and Artistic Production, Social Education, and Basic Education, and in the master's programme in Music Education. He also teaches general music education at primary-school level. He holds a master’s degree in music education and is pursuing a PhD in transdisciplinary research in education at the University of Valladolid, researching the integration of generative artificial intelligence into initial music teacher education from a critical pedagogy perspective with a focus on musical composition. Nascimento has published book chapters and peer-reviewed articles, presented his work at national and international conferences, and leads workshops on generative AI as a teaching resource in music education. He is an ISME team member, consulting on the revision of Belize’s STEAM curriculum, and co-leads the EAS Student Forum.

Siw G. Nielsen is Full Professor of Music Education at the Norwegian Academy of Music, Oslo, where she is co-director of the Centre of Educational Research in Music (CERM). She has published widely within the disciplines of sociology of music education and music education psychology. Recently, she co-authored and co-edited the 2025 book The Double Game of Music. Paradoxes of Power, Status and Class (Manchester University Press). She has also contributed to The Routledge Handbook to Sociology of Music Education (2021) and the Routledge Handbook of Music Psychology in Education and the Community (2021). Nielsen has led the Nordic Network of Research in Music Education (NNRME) for several years, co-editing ten of the NNRME’s yearbooks. She has worked as a music teacher in compulsory school education and in extracurricular schools of music and art and has served as a church musician and a choir conductor for amateur choirs.

Hanne Närhinsalo is a doctoral researcher at the Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki. She has 30 years of experience in teaching musicianship skills, works as a lecturer at Music Institute Juvenalia in Espoo, and contributes to teacher education. Närhinsalo's research focuses on teacher collaboration and the development of more holistic pedagogical approaches in music school education.

Paolo Paradiso is a PhD student in education and social sciences from the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Italy), working on a project that aims to investigate the implications of using AI in music education in primary schools (supervisor: Prof. Paolo Somigli; co-supervisor: Prof. Michele Cagol). His studies began at the N. Paganini Conservatory of Music of Genoa (Italy), where he earned a first-level diploma in jazz singing and a second-level diploma in music teaching. He subsequently earned a master's degree in musicology from the University of Pavia (Cremona campus, Italy). In addition to working as a music teacher at state schools, he continued his research activities. He took part in international conferences where he had the opportunity to exchange ideas with experts from various scientific fields, broadening his expertise. Passionate about music and reading, he views research as a creative space where artistic sensibility, critical reflection, and technological innovation converge.

Evgenia Psaroudaki holds an MA in music education (European University of Cyprus), a bachelor's degree in archaeology, history and history of arts (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), a bachelor's degree and diploma in piano (National Conservatory, Athens), and a bachelor’s degree in classical singing (Municipal Conservatory of Nea Alikarnassos). She has also completed advanced training in music theory, voice, piano, and choir master classes and courses (Ionian University/KEDIVIM/Piano Pedagogy and Contemporary Approaches, 2022). Since 2010, she has worked as a piano teacher at the Music School of Heraklion, Crete. Her activities include participation in conferences, membership of the Greek Society for Music Education, and active artistic engagement in numerous artistic events in her home country as a pianist, accompanist, and opera choir singer (Heraklion Cultural & Conference Center). Her main research interests are music and piano pedagogy and the interdisciplinary connection of music with the arts and culture.

Jussi Rinta graduated in 2003 with a Master of Music degree in piano performance from the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland. He also studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. He has performed extensively as an accompanist and concert pianist. Since 2003, he has worked as a piano lecturer at the Palmgren Conservatory in Pori, serving as acting vice principal for two separate terms between 2015 and 2018. As these administrative responsibilities coincided with a national curriculum reform, he became interested in understanding not only how instrumental teachers think about teaching and learning, but also in broader educational structures and practices. This led him to begin studies in educational sciences in 2019 alongside his professional work. Since 2024, he has been a doctoral researcher at the University of Eastern Finland while continuing his work in music education. 

Peter Röbke studied school music, musicology, and educational science. He was a music education assistant at the Berlin University of the Arts, a violin teacher in Berlin, and director of the Berlin-Wedding Music School. Since 1994, he has been Professor of Instrumental Pedagogy at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (emeritus in 2022). He was head of the Department of Music Education Research and Practice between 2010 and 2021, and for 15 years chair of the study commission for the instrumental and vocal pedagogy programme. He has held numerous teaching posts at European conservatoires, has been active in teacher training for regional music school associations in Austria and Germany, co-founded and co-directed the training academy for Lower Austrian music school directors, and authored the general section of the curriculum for Austrian music schools. From 2015 to 2018, Röbke served as chair of the Board of Trustees of the JeKits Foundation. 

Rut Jorunn Rønning is a PhD student at the Norwegian Academy of Music, specialising in music education and cultural sociology. Her doctoral research explores perspectives on arts and knowledge within publicly funded music and art schools, and how this institution is legitimised among central actors. Rønning’s professional background includes roles as a performing musician, teacher, and leader in music and art schools, and she serves as an advisor at the Norwegian Council for Music and Art Schools. This multidimensional perspective enriches her understanding of the intersection of theory and practice in research into arts education and cultural policy.

Antti Snellman is a saxophone teacher, freelance musician and a doctoral candidate at the Sibelius Academy (University of the Arts Helsinki, Finland). As a teacher he has been working with children and teenagers at the Pop & Jazz Conservatory since 1993 with the aim of creating a classroom environment where the needs, goals, and values of each student are identified, respected, and supported. In his doctoral studies on music education, Snellman is interested in fostering music school teachers' reflective practice, and students' autonomous motivation and self-regulated learning.

Christos Theologos holds a PhD in folklore from the Department of Primary Education at the University of the Aegean, where he is currently conducting a postdoctoral research project titled "Choreographic-linguistic systems and symbolism of Asia Minor refugees: A study of pedagogical integration in non-formal education". He also holds an MA in cultural policy and development from the Open University of Cyprus, and an MA in Models of Educational Planning and Development from the University of the Aegean. Theologos has been working as an educator in secondary education since 1988. Ηe currently serves as the principal of the Music School of Rhodes. For over 40 years, he has been actively involved in organisations focused on folk culture and the arts. His primary research interests lie in the integration and development of folk culture within educational contexts.

Angeliki Triantafyllaki is Assistant Professor of Music Education, Teacher Education and Technologies at the Department of Music Studies at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). She holds a PhD in music education from the University of Cambridge, U.K. and is active in research and teaching in HEIs in Greece and abroad. She has published her work in international journals, edited volumes, and conference proceedings, and held funded research positions with large-scale EU projects, the British Academy, the Greek IKY foundation, and recently ERASMUS+. She serves on the editorial boards of two international journals and the EAS EPoME book series. In 2023, she joined the pan-European ERASMUS+ TEAM project, contributing to its work package activities relevant to school internships abroad (SIA), mentoring, and mapping European music teacher education.

Georgios Tsitas is a musician and theologian who has served in secondary education since 2003. He holds a piano degree and diploma, as well as a diploma in advanced music theory studies from the National Conservatory. He also holds a degree in theology, a master’s degree in Theory, Practice and Evaluation of Educational Work, and a PhD in Ethics and Educational Evaluation from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. In recent years, he has taught educational evaluation in postgraduate programmes at the University of Athens and the University of Nicosia. He is a founding member of the Hellenic Educational Evaluation Society. For seven years, Tsitas has mentored music studies students during their teaching practice. He has participated in teacher training seminars as a trainee and instructor. His work includes publications in conferences and journals, as well as contributions to edited volumes as an author or editor. 

İlkay Ebru Tuncer Gülseli is Professor of Music Education at Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Türkiye. She received her PhD in music education from the University of Florida and her master’s degree in music from Ohio University. Her research focuses on the sociology and philosophy of music education, music teacher education, critical pedagogy, equity and inclusion, and the ethical dimensions of musical learning. Her recent work examines normativity, legitimacy, diversity, and negotiation processes within music education through qualitative and critical theoretical approaches. She has contributed to international publications including The Oxford Handbook of Assessment Policy and Practice in Music Education, Humane Music Education for the Common Good, and The Oxford Handbook of Feminism and Music Education. During 2026–2027, she will be affiliated to Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich as a visiting researcher.

Tuulia Tuovinen is a music educator, researcher and founder and director of PopUp ry, a nonprofit organisation that develops arts and leisure activities for children and youth in Finland. Tuovinen recently completed her doctoral dissertation at the Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki on children's participation and democratic governance in Finnish music schools. Her research draws on sociomaterial and post-humanist frameworks alongside practitioner-research methodology, and contributes to international debates on democratic music education, children's voice in policy, and the politics of inclusion in arts institutions. Her work spans research, teaching, organisational leadership, and advocacy for children's cultural rights. She currently leads the ESR+-funded project Finnish Hobby Model 2.0 - Youth-Led Inclusion in Leisure Activities (2026-2028), which pilots accessible leisure activities for 15–19-year-old students. 

Edmar Tuul is an Estonian music school principal, conductor, and cultural manager whose work focuses on accessibility, inclusion, and community engagement in music education and cultural life. He is the founder and project leader of the Concert of Inclusion initiative, launched to promote accessibility in cultural events and equal participation in music. Through this work, he established Estonia's first Estonian Sign Language choir and has developed concert models integrating sign language interpretation, audio description, Braille materials, easy-to-read language, and other accessibility practices into artistic concepts. Tuul currently serves as principal of Viimsi Music School and has held leading roles in several major Estonian cultural institutions and national music events. In 2024, the Estonian Chamber of People with Disabilities recognised the Concert of Inclusion as an "Act of Significant Social Impact", and in 2025 he received the Estonian Ministry of Defence Gold Badge of Merit for his contribution to cultural life.

Øivind Varkøy is a professor of music education and musicology, working at the Norwegian Academy of Music. He holds a PhD in musicology from the University of Oslo (2001). Varkøy has previously worked as a music teacher in secondary school, in the teacher education programme at the University of Innlandet, and as a professor of musicology at Örebro University (Sweden). He has also held guest professorships at Örebro University and the teacher education programme at Oslo Metropolitan University. Varkøy has published articles, books, and anthologies on philosophy of music education and music philosophy, both nationally and internationally. He is also a composer and has contributed to recordings by Norwegian popular music and jazz artists. 

Loreta Venslavičienė is a doctoral student, an expert music teacher, a professional musician, and a recognised mentor to young performers who teaches children to play the kanklės, a traditional Lithuanian instrument. She is currently researching self-assessment in music and art schools as a means of improving artistic performance and ensuring its quality and mastery.

Stepanka Vojtasova holds bachelor's and master's degrees with distinction in Piano Performance and Instrumental Pedagogy from the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, Austria (KUG), focusing on music sociology and aesthetics. Her master's thesis on Czech composer Julie Reisserová was recognised as a valuable addition to Prof. Jean-Paul C. Montagnier's 2025 monograph. During her studies, she worked at the Institute of Music Aesthetics, where she assisted with academic publications and advocated mental health and equal treatment within the KUG student union. Since 2023, Vojtasova has been teaching piano at the Music School Lieboch in Styria. Her pedagogical practice is enriched by international training (Initiative SIRIUS 6.0 Stuttgart) and regular participation in international conferences. She is pursuing her PhD degree at mdw - University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw) with Prof. Michael Göllner, and is also active in the public relations department of the mdw student union. 

Kaisa Johanna Vähi is an Estonian violinist, educator, and doctoral researcher at the Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki. Her research explores how Estonian publicly funded music schools are adapting to the country’s political transition and responding to the needs of a changing society. Having been involved with music schools for almost her entire life both as a student and a teacher, she advocates student-centred pedagogies to increase the accessibility of an engaging vocal/instrumental education in Estonia. She is also a founding member of the non-governmental organisation Lesson to Lesson (Tunnist Tundi), which aims to promote practical knowledge of smart learning as well as teacher and student well-being in various educational settings. Kaisa’s research is funded by the Estonian Education and Youth Board, and the Kone Foundation. More information: kaisajohanna.com

Cassio (Yiqing) Zhou is a doctoral student of music teaching and learning at the Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California. Originally from China, she completed her Bachelor of Music Education at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music, before moving to Australia to pursue a Master of Performance Teaching at the University of Melbourne. She then came to the United States to pursue her doctorate at USC. Informed by her cross-cultural background, her research draws on feminist theory and cultural analysis to examine how gendered expectations shape women's experiences of teaching and learning music. One strand of this work explores classical Confucian ethics as a framework that may cultivate moral character and simultaneously reinforce gendered forms of obedience and restraint. Through this work, she hopes to contribute to discussions about more equitable and humane possibilities for music education.