Music pedagogy curricula in Finland and Spain

This study compares the Music Pedagogy degree programmes, with an emphasis on classical performance, at Oulu University of Applied Sciences (OAMK, Finland) and the Higher Music Conservatory of the Canary Islands (CSMC, Spain), selected on the basis of their institutional collaboration through the Erasmus+ programme and their contrasting regulatory and institutional models within the European Higher Education Area. Both institutions are additionally located in geographically peripheral European regions, offering a further point of contrast between contexts distant from major cultural centres. Using a qualitative documentary approach, the study analyses professional competencies and curriculum structures in both programmes. The findings indicate that both curricula prioritize instrumental practice and aim to provide comprehensive preparation for future music educators. At the same time, the programmes reflect different curricular orientations in the balance between practical training and theoretical pedagogical study. Additional differences emerge in the ways entrepreneurship and preparation for professional practice are integrated into the curricula, as well as in the organizational structure of the programmes. These variations illustrate how curriculum design in higher music education is shaped by institutional traditions and regulatory frameworks.