Caring for musically gifted children
In this project, Dr. Guadalupe López-Íñiguez seeks to support children gifted for music internationally, so that they can live as agentic and healthy individuals while pursuing desirable educational outcomes in caring ecosystems.
Research description
Despite decades of humanitarian discourses advocating for the ethical education of exceptional achievers, children gifted for music remain largely underprotected and exploited for the sake of sustaining the prestige of educational institutions and nations. In this project (2022-2027), Dr. Guadalupe López-Íñiguez explores how the politics of care in elite higher music institutions and certain educational “cults” could better support the education of gifted children. This transdisciplinary, intersectoral, cross-cultural, and multimethods research includes data from diverse cohorts of participants in multiple contexts in Finland and beyond. Systems Thinking will be used as an overarching approach to explore fundamental change in professional music education. Based at the Sibelius Academy, the project seeks to support children gifted for music internationally, so that they can live as agentic and healthy individuals while pursuing desirable educational outcomes in caring ecosystems.
Publications
Refereed books
López-Íñiguez, G., & McPherson, G. E. (Eds.) (in press). “Caring for gifted and talented music learners: Perspectives and future possibilities”. Oxford University Press.
Special issues of a journal
Refereed articles and chapters
López-Íñiguez, G., & McPherson, G. E. (forthcoming). “From talented musician to whole child: Institutional leaders’ perspectives on caring for the gifted in specialist music programs”.
López-Íñiguez, G., & McPherson, G. E. (forthcoming). “Issues and approaches to gifted education in specialist music programs globally: Insights from institutional leaders”.
Westerlund, H., Laes, T., & López-Íñiguez, G. (forthcoming). “Toward sustainability beyond advocacy: Systems thinking for unlocking the transformative powers of music education”.
Blackwell, J., & López-Íñiguez, G. (2024). “Fostering affect, rapport, and care for optimal performance in studio music instruction“. In K. Parkes & R. Daniel (Eds.), The applied studio model in higher music education: Critical perspectives and opportunities (pp. 13–33). Routledge.
Juntunen, M-L., & López-Íñiguez, G. (2024). “Enrichment and acceleration of highly motivated children’s instrumental music learning. A case study of a pilot development project“. Online First Publication. Research Studies in Music Education.
López-Íñiguez, G., & McPherson, G. E. (2023). “Caring approaches to young, gifted music learners’ education: a PRISMA scoping review“. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1167292.
López-Íñiguez, G., & Westerlund, H. (2023). “The politics of care in the education of children gifted for music: A systems view“. In K. S. Hendricks (Ed.), Oxford handbook of care in music education (pp. 115-129). Oxford University Press.
Reports
López-Íñiguez, G. (2024). “The politics of care in the professional education of children gifted for music: A sustainable ecosystem worth advocating” [Special Issue on sustainability in music education]. Finnish Journal of Music Education, 27(1), 129–136.
Professional guidelines and policy documents
López-Íñiguez, G. (2025). “Musically gifted children require support from a holistic well-being perspective”. In A. Kanerva (Ed.), Flexible hobbies, communicative instructors and other recommendations from researchers for instructors of recreational activities for children and young people. Guide edited by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, the Observatory for Arts and Cultural Education in Finland, the Centre for Cultural Policy Research, the University of the Arts Helsinki, Finland’s National Child Strategy, and the Olympic Committee. Uniarts Helsinki Publications. [Read in English | Read in Finnish | Read in Swedish]
Dissemination
Invited keynotes
López-Íñiguez, G. (2025, October 23). “Desafíos éticos en la inclusión de alumnos con altas capacidades para la música” [Ethical challenges in the inclusion of musically gifted students]. 6th International Congress of Music and Culture for Inclusion and Innovation [VI Congreso Internacional de Música y Cultura para la Inclusión y la Innovación]. Invited keynote, University of Villanueva, Madrid (Spain).
Laes, T., López-Íñiguez, G., & Westerlund, H. (2024, July 30). “Beyond advocacy: Engaging with the political in music education”. Invited collective keynote, 36th World Conference for the International Society for Music Education (ISME), Helsinki (Finland).
López-Íñiguez, G. (2024, January 22). “El complejo ecosistema de los niños con altas capacidades para la música: ¿Cómo podemos facilitarles un futuro más amable?” [The complex ecosystem of children gifted for music: How can we facilitate a kinder future for them?]. Invited keynote, Universidad Alberto Hurtado, Santiago de Chile (Chile).
López-Íñiguez, G. (2023, April 13). “Desafíos en la educación musical profesional de niños y niñas con altas capacidades” [Challenges in the professional musical education of children with high abilities]. Invited keynote, I Congreso Iberoamericano de Psicología de la Música y Cognición Musical, organised by SACCoM, ABCM), and AEPMIM. International online conference.
Symposia, panels, and round tables
Refereed Symposium, chair and speaker (2024, July 31). “Providing caring professional education for children gifted for music: A sustainable ecosystem worth advocating”, with the presentation “Caring for musically gifted children: What do various music education and music industry stakeholders suggest?”. [Selected as Presidential Session.] 36th World Conference of the International Society for Music Education (ISME), Helsinki (Finland).
Refereed conference paper presentations
López-Íñiguez, G. (2025, July). “‘Inevitable’ pathways? Multiple stakeholders’ testimonies on how musically gifted children are driven into professional careers”. Paper presentation accepted for the 26th Biennial World Conference of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (WCGTC). Braga (Portugal).
López-Íñiguez, G. (2023, August). “Caring approaches to young, gifted music learners’ education: Is there any evidence?”. Paper presentation at the 25th Biennial World Conference of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (WCGTC). Virtual conference.
López-Íñiguez, G., & McPherson, G. E. (2023, August). “Caring for musically gifted children: What research is out there?”. Paper presentation at the 9th International Symposium on Performance Science (ISPS). Warsaw (Poland).
Invited/Refereed talks, lectures, and workshops
López-Íñiguez, G. (2025, February 25). “Caring for gifted children involved in professional music education: Updates on a global research project”. Invited online lecture for the Centre for Educational Research in Music (CERM), Norwegian Academy of Music, Oslo (Norway).
López-Íñiguez, G. (2024, December 9). “Caring for highly gifted young music learners”. Invited lecture for the management team at Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester (United Kingdom).
López-Íñiguez, G. (2024, November 15). “Ethical constructivism: Rethinking the power dynamics in the professional education of children gifted for music”. Invited talk, University of Pécs (Hungary).
López-Íñiguez, G. (2024, August 30). “Caring for highly gifted young music learners”. Invited lecture-workshop for Sibelius Academy’s String Department Teachers. Pääsitörni, Helsinki (Finland).
López-Íñiguez, G. (2024, July 24). “Caring for gifted children who study in higher education and work as professional musicians”. Refereed lecture-workshop for music professionals. ISME CEPROM Commission 25th International Seminar, Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, Tallinn (Estonia).
López-Íñiguez, G. (2023, October 19). “The art of connecting multiple research projects across the years to tackle my dream: Caring for children gifted for music”. Invited talk, Ian Potter Southbank Centre, University of Melbourne (Australia).
López-Íñiguez, G. (2023, January 19). “Insights into my 11- plus 5-years’ research journey: What it takes to tackle the musically gifted child paradigm”. Invited talk, University of the Arts Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy Research Forum, Music Centre’s Agora (Finland).
López-Íñiguez, G. (2021, May 17). “The right to a childhood for musically gifted children: Academic acceleration in higher arts education”. Invited talk, University of the Arts Helsinki’s CERADA and Open Campus online seminar (Finland).
Posters
López-Íñiguez, G. (2025, July). “The Politics of Care in the Professional Education of Musically Gifted Children: Ongoing research report”. Poster presentation accepted for the 26th Biennial World Conference of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (WCGTC). Braga (Portugal).
Other events
Launch event – Finland’s guide for children and young people’s hobby instructors (2025, May 14). Guest speech on the guide’s article/recommendations pertaining to children gifted for music. Event organised by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, the Observatory for Arts and Cultural Education in Finland, Cupore, Uniarts Helsinki, Finland’s National Child Strategy, and the Olympic Committee. House of Sciences, Helsinki (Finland).
Pitching competition at Science Night LIVE! (2023, March 29). Awarded the 3rd Prize, pitch title: Caring for Musically Gifted Children. Event funded by Tieteen tiedotus and jointly organised by E2 Research, Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, and Heureka. Heureka, Vantaa (Finland).
Research project’s kick-off seminar (2022, October 11). Keynote address by Prof. Gary McPherson, and a discussion panel with distinguished guests. Sonore, Helsinki Music Centre (Finland).
Blog
The blog Emerging Perspectives on Instrumental Pedagogy offers new approaches and viewpoints to instrumental pedagogy at all educational levels, from music schools to higher education. Many of the blog posts have a specific focus on giftedness and talent in music. Go to the blog and start reading!
Most recent blog articles related to the project
November 20, 2024: Differentiating giftedness from talent in music education
August 10, 2024: Giftedness and talent in music: Nature, nurture, and/or luck?
November 20, 2023: Music education pathways for underage gifted learners’ talent development
August 10, 2023: Caring for children gifted for music: Who is responsible & is it really done?
November 20, 2022: The professionalization of gifted children in the performing arts: Who cares?
Press and Interviews
Professional Interview (July 2024). Guadalupe López-Íñiguez: ‘Hacia una ética del cuidado en la educación musical’. Revista Atemus, 9(17), 3–14.
Newspaper Interview (3.2.2024) regarding specialist music education of gifted and talented children by Helsingin Sanomat (Finland).
Video Interview and Academic News Release (26.1.2024) on the research project regarding caring for musically gifted children by the University Alberto Hurtado (Chile).
Academic News Release (24.1.2024) on the research project regarding caring for musically gifted children by the University of Valparaíso (Chile).
Written Interview (17.4.2023) on giftedness education in music for the Finnish Broadcasting Company – Yle (Finland).
Online Newspaper Column (17.4.2023) on the research project regarding caring for musically gifted children for Uusi Suomi (Finland).
TV News Interview (16.4.2023) on innate abilities in music for the Finnish Broadcasting Company – Yle (Finland).
Videos
Keynote: The complex ecosystem of children with high musical abilities [in Spanish]
Principal Investigator
Dr. Guadalupe López-Íñiguez is a Spanish researcher, musician, and educator based in Finland. Guadalupe holds a permanent position as a University Researcher in the fields of instrumental pedagogy and performance science at Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki. She has led multiple research projects as a PI since 2009; as an Academy Research Fellow appointed by the Research Council of Finland, she is currently leading the project “The Politics of Care in the Professional Education of Children Gifted for Music” (2022-2027). In recognition of her contributions to the psychology of music education, she has been awarded several international prizes and has received honorific titles from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music (Honorary Senior Fellow) and the Sibelius Academy (Docent). In addition to the field of gifted education in music, her research expertise includes constructivist pedagogy and conceptual change, musicians’ employability and careers, identity and lifelong learning, and wellbeing, as well as music performance optimisation and theories of emotion and motivation. As a musician herself, Guadalupe knows the music performance field from within. She holds a Master’s degree in classical music performance and plays ocassionally on baroque, classical, and modern cellos. Alba Records released her critically acclaimed albums with the complete cello works by Gabrielli and Scarlatti in 2018, and the complete cello works by Mendelssohn in 2019. She has played recitals at relevant festivals and venues in Estonia, Finland, Germany, Holland, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Contact information
-
Guadalupe López Íñiguez
- Academy Research Fellow, MuTri Doctoral School, Sibelius Academy
Part-time teacher, MuTri Doctoral School, Sibelius Academy - +358503139067
- guadalupe.lopez.iniguez@uniarts.fi
Documentation for participants
Information Form | Consent Form | Privacy Notice | Ethicality Statement (28.4.2023)
Project name
The Politics of Care in the Professional Education of Children Gifted for Music
Time
09/2022-08/2027
Funder
The Scientific Council for Culture and Society, Research Council of Finland (Ref. 348591)
Team
Principal Investigator: PhD Guadalupe López-Íñiguez, Academy Research Fellow, Docent, University Researcher.
Lead organisation
Sibelius Academy
Research description
Despite decades of humanitarian discourses advocating for the ethical education of exceptional achievers, children gifted for music remain largely underprotected and exploited for the sake of sustaining the prestige of educational institutions and nations. In this project (2022-2027), Dr. Guadalupe López-Íñiguez explores how the politics of care in elite higher music institutions and certain educational “cults” could better support the education of gifted children. This transdisciplinary, intersectoral, cross-cultural, and multimethods research includes data from diverse cohorts of participants in multiple contexts in Finland and beyond. Systems Thinking will be used as an overarching approach to explore fundamental change in professional music education. Based at the Sibelius Academy, the project seeks to support children gifted for music internationally, so that they can live as agentic and healthy individuals while pursuing desirable educational outcomes in caring ecosystems.
Publications
Refereed books
López-Íñiguez, G., & McPherson, G. E. (Eds.) (in press). “Caring for gifted and talented music learners: Perspectives and future possibilities”. Oxford University Press.
Special issues of a journal
Refereed articles and chapters
López-Íñiguez, G., & McPherson, G. E. (forthcoming). “From talented musician to whole child: Institutional leaders’ perspectives on caring for the gifted in specialist music programs”.
López-Íñiguez, G., & McPherson, G. E. (forthcoming). “Issues and approaches to gifted education in specialist music programs globally: Insights from institutional leaders”.
Westerlund, H., Laes, T., & López-Íñiguez, G. (forthcoming). “Toward sustainability beyond advocacy: Systems thinking for unlocking the transformative powers of music education”.
Blackwell, J., & López-Íñiguez, G. (2024). “Fostering affect, rapport, and care for optimal performance in studio music instruction“. In K. Parkes & R. Daniel (Eds.), The applied studio model in higher music education: Critical perspectives and opportunities (pp. 13–33). Routledge.
Juntunen, M-L., & López-Íñiguez, G. (2024). “Enrichment and acceleration of highly motivated children’s instrumental music learning. A case study of a pilot development project“. Online First Publication. Research Studies in Music Education.
López-Íñiguez, G., & McPherson, G. E. (2023). “Caring approaches to young, gifted music learners’ education: a PRISMA scoping review“. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1167292.
López-Íñiguez, G., & Westerlund, H. (2023). “The politics of care in the education of children gifted for music: A systems view“. In K. S. Hendricks (Ed.), Oxford handbook of care in music education (pp. 115-129). Oxford University Press.
Reports
López-Íñiguez, G. (2024). “The politics of care in the professional education of children gifted for music: A sustainable ecosystem worth advocating” [Special Issue on sustainability in music education]. Finnish Journal of Music Education, 27(1), 129–136.
Professional guidelines and policy documents
López-Íñiguez, G. (2025). “Musically gifted children require support from a holistic well-being perspective”. In A. Kanerva (Ed.), Flexible hobbies, communicative instructors and other recommendations from researchers for instructors of recreational activities for children and young people. Guide edited by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, the Observatory for Arts and Cultural Education in Finland, the Centre for Cultural Policy Research, the University of the Arts Helsinki, Finland’s National Child Strategy, and the Olympic Committee. Uniarts Helsinki Publications. [Read in English | Read in Finnish | Read in Swedish]
Dissemination
Invited keynotes
López-Íñiguez, G. (2025, October 23). “Desafíos éticos en la inclusión de alumnos con altas capacidades para la música” [Ethical challenges in the inclusion of musically gifted students]. 6th International Congress of Music and Culture for Inclusion and Innovation [VI Congreso Internacional de Música y Cultura para la Inclusión y la Innovación]. Invited keynote, University of Villanueva, Madrid (Spain).
Laes, T., López-Íñiguez, G., & Westerlund, H. (2024, July 30). “Beyond advocacy: Engaging with the political in music education”. Invited collective keynote, 36th World Conference for the International Society for Music Education (ISME), Helsinki (Finland).
López-Íñiguez, G. (2024, January 22). “El complejo ecosistema de los niños con altas capacidades para la música: ¿Cómo podemos facilitarles un futuro más amable?” [The complex ecosystem of children gifted for music: How can we facilitate a kinder future for them?]. Invited keynote, Universidad Alberto Hurtado, Santiago de Chile (Chile).
López-Íñiguez, G. (2023, April 13). “Desafíos en la educación musical profesional de niños y niñas con altas capacidades” [Challenges in the professional musical education of children with high abilities]. Invited keynote, I Congreso Iberoamericano de Psicología de la Música y Cognición Musical, organised by SACCoM, ABCM), and AEPMIM. International online conference.
Symposia, panels, and round tables
Refereed Symposium, chair and speaker (2024, July 31). “Providing caring professional education for children gifted for music: A sustainable ecosystem worth advocating”, with the presentation “Caring for musically gifted children: What do various music education and music industry stakeholders suggest?”. [Selected as Presidential Session.] 36th World Conference of the International Society for Music Education (ISME), Helsinki (Finland).
Refereed conference paper presentations
López-Íñiguez, G. (2025, July). “‘Inevitable’ pathways? Multiple stakeholders’ testimonies on how musically gifted children are driven into professional careers”. Paper presentation accepted for the 26th Biennial World Conference of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (WCGTC). Braga (Portugal).
López-Íñiguez, G. (2023, August). “Caring approaches to young, gifted music learners’ education: Is there any evidence?”. Paper presentation at the 25th Biennial World Conference of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (WCGTC). Virtual conference.
López-Íñiguez, G., & McPherson, G. E. (2023, August). “Caring for musically gifted children: What research is out there?”. Paper presentation at the 9th International Symposium on Performance Science (ISPS). Warsaw (Poland).
Invited/Refereed talks, lectures, and workshops
López-Íñiguez, G. (2025, February 25). “Caring for gifted children involved in professional music education: Updates on a global research project”. Invited online lecture for the Centre for Educational Research in Music (CERM), Norwegian Academy of Music, Oslo (Norway).
López-Íñiguez, G. (2024, December 9). “Caring for highly gifted young music learners”. Invited lecture for the management team at Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester (United Kingdom).
López-Íñiguez, G. (2024, November 15). “Ethical constructivism: Rethinking the power dynamics in the professional education of children gifted for music”. Invited talk, University of Pécs (Hungary).
López-Íñiguez, G. (2024, August 30). “Caring for highly gifted young music learners”. Invited lecture-workshop for Sibelius Academy’s String Department Teachers. Pääsitörni, Helsinki (Finland).
López-Íñiguez, G. (2024, July 24). “Caring for gifted children who study in higher education and work as professional musicians”. Refereed lecture-workshop for music professionals. ISME CEPROM Commission 25th International Seminar, Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, Tallinn (Estonia).
López-Íñiguez, G. (2023, October 19). “The art of connecting multiple research projects across the years to tackle my dream: Caring for children gifted for music”. Invited talk, Ian Potter Southbank Centre, University of Melbourne (Australia).
López-Íñiguez, G. (2023, January 19). “Insights into my 11- plus 5-years’ research journey: What it takes to tackle the musically gifted child paradigm”. Invited talk, University of the Arts Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy Research Forum, Music Centre’s Agora (Finland).
López-Íñiguez, G. (2021, May 17). “The right to a childhood for musically gifted children: Academic acceleration in higher arts education”. Invited talk, University of the Arts Helsinki’s CERADA and Open Campus online seminar (Finland).
Posters
López-Íñiguez, G. (2025, July). “The Politics of Care in the Professional Education of Musically Gifted Children: Ongoing research report”. Poster presentation accepted for the 26th Biennial World Conference of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (WCGTC). Braga (Portugal).
Other events
Launch event – Finland’s guide for children and young people’s hobby instructors (2025, May 14). Guest speech on the guide’s article/recommendations pertaining to children gifted for music. Event organised by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, the Observatory for Arts and Cultural Education in Finland, Cupore, Uniarts Helsinki, Finland’s National Child Strategy, and the Olympic Committee. House of Sciences, Helsinki (Finland).
Pitching competition at Science Night LIVE! (2023, March 29). Awarded the 3rd Prize, pitch title: Caring for Musically Gifted Children. Event funded by Tieteen tiedotus and jointly organised by E2 Research, Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, and Heureka. Heureka, Vantaa (Finland).
Research project’s kick-off seminar (2022, October 11). Keynote address by Prof. Gary McPherson, and a discussion panel with distinguished guests. Sonore, Helsinki Music Centre (Finland).
Blog
The blog Emerging Perspectives on Instrumental Pedagogy offers new approaches and viewpoints to instrumental pedagogy at all educational levels, from music schools to higher education. Many of the blog posts have a specific focus on giftedness and talent in music. Go to the blog and start reading!
Most recent blog articles related to the project
November 20, 2024: Differentiating giftedness from talent in music education
August 10, 2024: Giftedness and talent in music: Nature, nurture, and/or luck?
November 20, 2023: Music education pathways for underage gifted learners’ talent development
August 10, 2023: Caring for children gifted for music: Who is responsible & is it really done?
November 20, 2022: The professionalization of gifted children in the performing arts: Who cares?
Press and Interviews
Professional Interview (July 2024). Guadalupe López-Íñiguez: ‘Hacia una ética del cuidado en la educación musical’. Revista Atemus, 9(17), 3–14.
Newspaper Interview (3.2.2024) regarding specialist music education of gifted and talented children by Helsingin Sanomat (Finland).
Video Interview and Academic News Release (26.1.2024) on the research project regarding caring for musically gifted children by the University Alberto Hurtado (Chile).
Academic News Release (24.1.2024) on the research project regarding caring for musically gifted children by the University of Valparaíso (Chile).
Written Interview (17.4.2023) on giftedness education in music for the Finnish Broadcasting Company – Yle (Finland).
Online Newspaper Column (17.4.2023) on the research project regarding caring for musically gifted children for Uusi Suomi (Finland).
TV News Interview (16.4.2023) on innate abilities in music for the Finnish Broadcasting Company – Yle (Finland).
Videos
Keynote: The complex ecosystem of children with high musical abilities [in Spanish]
Principal Investigator
Dr. Guadalupe López-Íñiguez is a Spanish researcher, musician, and educator based in Finland. Guadalupe holds a permanent position as a University Researcher in the fields of instrumental pedagogy and performance science at Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki. She has led multiple research projects as a PI since 2009; as an Academy Research Fellow appointed by the Research Council of Finland, she is currently leading the project “The Politics of Care in the Professional Education of Children Gifted for Music” (2022-2027). In recognition of her contributions to the psychology of music education, she has been awarded several international prizes and has received honorific titles from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music (Honorary Senior Fellow) and the Sibelius Academy (Docent). In addition to the field of gifted education in music, her research expertise includes constructivist pedagogy and conceptual change, musicians’ employability and careers, identity and lifelong learning, and wellbeing, as well as music performance optimisation and theories of emotion and motivation. As a musician herself, Guadalupe knows the music performance field from within. She holds a Master’s degree in classical music performance and plays ocassionally on baroque, classical, and modern cellos. Alba Records released her critically acclaimed albums with the complete cello works by Gabrielli and Scarlatti in 2018, and the complete cello works by Mendelssohn in 2019. She has played recitals at relevant festivals and venues in Estonia, Finland, Germany, Holland, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Contact information
-
Guadalupe López Íñiguez
- Academy Research Fellow, MuTri Doctoral School, Sibelius Academy
Part-time teacher, MuTri Doctoral School, Sibelius Academy - +358503139067
- guadalupe.lopez.iniguez@uniarts.fi
Documentation for participants
Information Form | Consent Form | Privacy Notice | Ethicality Statement (28.4.2023)