Taru Koivisto

Introduction

Taru Koivisto is a visiting researcher at the Research Institute and a member of the cERAda research network. She has served as postdoctoral researcher in the project “Performing the political: Public Pedagogy in Higher Music Education” (2023–2027, funded by the Research Council of Finland). Furthermore, Koivisto has worked as a researcher for example in the project “Economic evaluation of cultural well-being activities” (Artwell, 2022–2023, funded by the Prime Minister’s Office), as a visiting researcher (funded by the Alfred Kordelin Foundation, 2023) and as a researcher-developer in the project Kreativ personcentrerad vårdkonst (Åbo Akademi, 2021–2024). She has led a research project mapping the use of telehealth music therapy (2022–2023, Kela / The Social Insurance Institution of Finland research funding).

Koivisto’s doctoral thesis, completed in 2022, was a multiple case study on the expanding music professionalism in the Finnish healthcare system. The sub-studies were carried out in a neonatal intensive care unit, an infection and orthopaedic ward in a hospital specialising in the care and rehabilitation of the elderly, and in a hospice setting. During her doctoral research, Koivisto was affiliated to the Arts in health, welfare, and care research group of the ArtsEqual project.

Koivisto has served as a responsible teacher of music therapy in the Open Campus’s Näköaloja taideterapioihin [Perspectives into arts therapies] training, Johdatus musiikin opettajan työhön [Introduction to music teaching as a profession] and a co-teacher of the Global music program Cultural diversity and music research course. During the academic year 2025–2026, she is responsible of the Muusikot yhteiskunnallisina toimijoina -opintojaksosta [Musicians as societal actors]. She is a member of the board of the Finnish Society of Arts Education Research, co-editor-in-chief of The Finnish Journal of Music Education, and has been involved in many international and national research networks, third sector, and professional networks.

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4555-191X
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