Scientific activities

SoundRoutes will be presented as an oral presentation at the 18th Interdepartmental Musicological Conference of the Hellenic Musicological Society. The conference, themed “Contemporary Music Creation, Tradition and Renewal”, will take place in Arta from 30 October to 1 November 2026. The contribution is scheduled for 31 October.

The chapter Implementing STREAM music scenarios in early childhood education through Music Education 4.0: Design principles for post-digital transformation is published in the international edited volume Early Childhood Education as a European Knowledge Ecosystem: Arts, Digital Transformation, and Social Futures by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. The publication situates Music Education 4.0 within early-childhood education and focuses on the design of STREAM music scenarios for post-digital learning environments.

The study Using Songwriting Practices in Primary Music Education: Music Teachers’ Perceptions, Practices, and Challenges in Greece, co-authored with D. Michail, was published in Volume C of the Proceedings of the 11th International Conference “Education and Culture in the 21st Century” by EKEDISY. The paper examines songwriting as a creative and collaborative practice through the professional experience of music teachers working in Greece.

Hybrid Horizons – Festival & Conference takes place at Megaron – Athens Concert Hall from 16 to 18 October 2026, bringing contemporary music creation, technology, and artistic research into dialogue. The programme includes concerts, presentations, and research activities exploring new approaches to composition, performance, and interaction with sound.

The study Music Teachers’ Attitudes and Perceptions of the Pedagogical Value and Implementation of STEAM Practices in Music Teaching and Learning, co-authored with F. Mouratidou, was published in Volume C of the Proceedings of the 11th International Conference “Education and Culture in the 21st Century” by EKEDISY. STEAM is examined through music teachers’ perceptions, familiarity and actual working conditions.

The paper Pierce XRLab: Designing and developing an innovative two-year XR curriculum for immersive learning in middle school was published in the Practitioner Proceedings of the 12th International Conference of the Immersive Learning Research Network (iLRN 2026). It presents the design of a two-year extended-reality (XR) curriculum for Grades 8–9, developed for real school conditions, short lesson periods and shared devices.

The paper Designing and applying educational scenarios reflecting the Music Education 4.0 perspective for primary music school education was published in the proceedings of the WAAE Global Arts Education Summit Athens 2024, issued by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Press. The study moves Music Education 4.0 from a theoretical framework into the design and implementation of concrete educational scenarios for primary school music.

The article Pierce XRLab: A two-year spiral curriculum for extended reality in middle school was published in the Global Academic and Scientific Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies (GASJMS). The paper presents the structure of Pierce XRLab as a two-year spiral extended-reality (XR) curriculum for Grades 8–9, organised into 16 units.

The article Rethinking early childhood music education in the post-digital era: A Music Education 4.0 perspective was published in the GAS Journal of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences. The publication reconsiders early-childhood music education through Music Education 4.0 and proposes a post-digital framework in which sound, bodies, materials, technology and social interaction are treated as interconnected elements of musical experience.

The 12th International Conference of the Immersive Learning Research Network (iLRN2026) focuses on the educational use of extended and virtual reality and on the design of immersive learning experiences. Within the iLEAD strand, discussion addresses not only the capabilities of immersive technologies but also questions of representation, participation, critical literacy, and responsible use.

A new study on Synth4Kids, co-authored with Christina Charalambidou, was published in Intellect’s International Journal of Music in Early Childhood, a scholarly journal focused on music and learning in the early years. The article Integrating current technologies into pre-school music teaching–learning: A practical intervention utilizing the educational music software Synth4kids with children aged 4–6 examines the software through its actual pedagogical implementation.

The international BIP Athens 2026 is jointly organised by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the University of Granada, and the University of Oldenburg, connecting contemporary directions in music education with research, technology, and experiential musical practice. The programme includes three activities ranging from theoretical discussion of Music Education 4.0 to environmental listening and collaborative music creation.

The 11th International Conference “Education and Culture in the 21st Century” takes place in Piraeus on 25–26 April 2026 and includes research and educational applications addressing contemporary approaches to learning, culture, and interdisciplinarity. Two studies in the programme examine creative and interdisciplinary practices in music education through the experiences and perceptions of music teachers.

The 2nd Panhellenic Scientific Conference with International Participation on Audiovisual and Film Literacy takes place in Chania from 27 to 29 March 2026. Its focus is on understanding, critically approaching, and creating audiovisual texts, as well as on ways such material can be used in educational settings.

The 33rd Conference of the European Association for Music in Schools (EAS) takes place in Vienna from 8 to 11 April 2026, with participation, diversity, democracy, and social cohesion as central themes in music education. The conference examines the role of music learning in creating more participatory and inclusive educational environments.

The online study day “Digital Approaches to Music Teaching in Music Schools” takes place on 22 March 2026, organised by the Music Schools Working Group of the Greek Society for Music Education. The event brings together proposals and examples of how digital media can support school-based and instrumental music teaching without replacing live musical interaction.

The article Digital Little Music Makers: Utilizing Emerging and Immersive Technologies, Artificial Intelligence, and STREAM Practices in Music Teaching and Learning was published in Musical Pedagogics, the scholarly journal of the Greek Society for Music Education, through EKT ePublishing. The study presents a multi-year post-digital music-learning environment for students in Grades 3–5.

The article Using Artificial Intelligence Practices in Primary Music Education: Pedagogical Perspectives, STEAM Applications, Affordances, and Limitations was published in the Journal of Culture in Tourism, Art and Education at the University of Patras. The discussion focuses on concrete music-education applications of artificial intelligence rather than on a general technology-centred view.

The article Digital little music makers: Incorporating emerging technologies, immersive practices (AR, VR), artificial intelligence, and STREAM methods into music teaching and learning was published in the Global Academic and Scientific Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies (GASJMS). The study presents the teaching intervention Digital Little Music Makers as a multi-year framework for creative music learning that connects augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), artificial intelligence and STREAM practices.

The online study day “Using STEAM Practices in the School Music Classroom: Theoretical Framework, Challenges and Practical Applications” takes place on 8 November 2025, organised by the Department of Music Studies at NKUA and the Regional Directorate of Education of Attica. The event seeks to clarify what STEAM means in music education and how interdisciplinarity can acquire meaningful music-pedagogical content.

The 10th International Conference of the Greek Society for Music Education (GSME) takes place in Corfu from 31 October to 2 November 2025, in collaboration with the Department of Music Studies at Ionian University. The conference examines music teaching and learning across different contexts and brings together research on the functions, values, and changing practices of contemporary music education.

The chapter Using Artificial Intelligence Tools in Primary School Music Education: Preliminary Findings from an Educational Intervention was published in the edited volume Language, Education and Artificial Intelligence by the University of Crete. The study moves discussion of artificial intelligence from general possibilities into a structured ten-week intervention carried out in an actual school music classroom.

A new study on Synth4Kids, co-authored with Christina Charalambidou, was published by Springer in the international edited volume Technology for Inclusion and Participation for All: Recent Achievements and Future Directions, which brings together work from the 18th International Conference of the Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe (AAATE 2025). The chapter Empowering Inclusive and Multimodal Practices in Preschool Music Education: Exploring the Assistive Technology Potential of Synth4Kids Software appears in the Assistive Technology and Accessibility Training section and connects music education with accessibility, Universal Design for Learning and assistive technologies.

The chapter Integrating STEAM Education Practices into Music Pedagogy: Towards Defining and Clarifying the Framework was published in The Music Classroom as a Laboratory for Creation and Experimentation: 17+1 STEAM Music-Education Scenarios by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Press. The chapter seeks to clarify the meaning of STEAM in music pedagogy and to identify theoretical and instructional principles that distinguish it from the simple coexistence of different subject areas.

The teaching scenario SOS from Planet MUX808: Rhythms, Aliens, Conductive Materials, Synthesisers, and Robots on a Musical Mission! was published in The Music Classroom as a Laboratory for Creation and Experimentation: 17+1 STEAM Music-Education Scenarios by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Press. It is a complete learning proposal that frames music teaching as a narrative mission connecting music, technology, making and problem solving.

The 18th AAATE Conference – Technology for Inclusion and Participation for All takes place in Nicosia from 10 to 12 September 2025, focusing on assistive technologies, accessibility, and broader participation across different learning environments.

The 2nd International Conference “Arts Education and Disability in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” takes place in Athens on 6–7 September 2025 and examines the relationship between arts education, disability, accessibility, participation, and contemporary technologies.

The article Design-Based Research as a Meta-Methodological Perspective in Music Education for Bridging Theory, Design, and Practice was published in New Pedagogue, issue 49. The publication approaches Design-Based Research (DBR) as a framework that systematically connects theory, educational design and practice within authentic learning environments.

The article Leveraging Digital Storytelling and Animation Practices in Music Education for Soft Skills Cultivation and Media Literacy Enhancement was published in the Open Journal of Animation, Film and Interactive Media in Education and Culture (AFIMEC) through EKT ePublishing. Digital storytelling and animation are examined as contexts in which musical creation intersects with audiovisual and digital literacy.

The paper Digital little music makers: Designing and implementing an innovative educational music proposal embodying the concept of “making” was published in the Constructionism Conference Proceedings: Making and Innovation by OAPublishing. The study presents the teaching intervention Digital Little Music Makers as a workshop for creative production and making, where students compose, design, construct and revise musical and interactive artefacts.

The international Constructionism 2025 – Building Communities, Bridging Ideas conference takes place in Zurich from 24 to 27 June 2025 and focuses on approaches in which learning develops through active creation, experimentation, and the construction of personally meaningful artefacts.

The article Design-based research in music education: Theoretical foundations, methodological perspectives, and practice implications was published in Futurity Education. It offers a theoretical and methodological review of Design-Based Research (DBR), with specific attention to its applications within music education.

On 24 March 2025, an online invited lecture is delivered within the international BIP Oldenburg 2025, jointly organised by Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, NKUA, and the University of Granada. The programme brings together contemporary research perspectives on music education, psychology, sociology, and research methodology.

The conference “Approaches to the Prevention and Management of School Violence and Bullying” takes place in Athens on 7–8 March 2025 and brings together research and educational approaches to identifying, preventing, and managing incidents of school violence and bullying.

On 14 March 2025, the second online seminar in Cycle II of the Early-Career Researchers Seminars at NKUA takes place. The series is organised by the Music Education Laboratory and the Music, Cognitive Sciences and Community Laboratory, in collaboration with the MA programme “Music Education in Formal and Informal Contexts,” and focuses on contemporary research approaches and methodological issues.

The chapter Little music makers & producers: Designing and integrating technological-musical educational scenarios for musical creativity development in an elementary school in Greece was published by Helbling in the international edited volume Liberty–Equity–Creativity: Innovating and Inventing Music in the Classroom. The teaching intervention Little Music Makers & Producers is examined as a framework for developing musical creativity among children aged 8–11.

The study Exploring the integration of maker culture activities in the theory of music course at a Greek conservatoire, co-authored with M. Papazachariou-Christoforou, was published in Intellect’s Journal of Music, Technology & Education, a journal focused on the intersections of music, technology and education. The paper examines how maker culture can reshape music-theory learning in a conservatoire setting.

The 1st Artificial Intelligence Summit 2025 takes place on 18–19 January 2025 and is devoted to current developments in artificial intelligence and its applications across different scientific and professional fields. The WSEAS programme includes presentations on new methods, tools, and areas of AI use.

The scientific conference “50 Years of Greek Song 1974–2024: Sociological and Cultural Approaches” takes place on 26–27 November 2024 at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and examines the development of Greek song over the past fifty years. Its themes include creation, production, circulation, and listening, as well as the transformations brought about by digital media.

The paper Developing and Implementing a Novel Location-Aware Digital Music-Learning Object Inspired by Maria Callas was published in the Proceedings of the 15th Interdepartmental Musicological Conference of the Hellenic Musicological Society. The paper presents a location-aware web environment designed for Grade 4 students and connects opera, focused listening and movement through space.

The 7th Acoustic Ecology Conference “Soundscapes, Biophony and the Climate Crisis” takes place from 7 to 10 November 2024 in Athens and Ancient Epidaurus. The programme examines the sonic environment in relation to biodiversity, environmental listening, technology, education, and the climate crisis.

The 5th Panhellenic Conference “Educational Games and Art in Education and Culture” takes place online on 2–3 November 2024 and focuses on the place of play and artistic practices in different learning environments.

The WAAE Athens Summit 2024 takes place in Athens from 17 to 19 October 2024 under the central theme Arts, Nature, Technology, Education: Harmony in Unity. The programme brings the arts, education, technology, nature and sustainability into dialogue through research presentations, workshops and artistic activities with international participation.

The Athens Inclusive Education Project takes place on 28 September 2024 at The American College of Greece, in collaboration with George Mason University and the American Community Schools of Athens. The professional-development initiative focuses on inclusive education, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and the creation of learning experiences that allow different forms of participation.

The study Designing and applying educational scenarios using Synth4Kids musical educational software in preschool education, co-authored with Christina Charalambidou, was published in AIRCC’s International Journal on Integrating Technology in Education. The article examines Synth4Kids through the design and implementation of structured music-education scenarios for preschool learners.

The article School Bullying and Victimisation: Approaches to Prevention and Intervention, co-authored with M. Kokkidou, was published in the Journal of Culture in Tourism, Art and Education at the University of Patras. The study approaches school bullying and victimisation as complex social and educational phenomena involving repeated aggression, power relations and significant emotional and social consequences.

The 36th World Conference of the International Society for Music Education (ISME) takes place in Helsinki from 28 July to 2 August 2024 under the central theme Advocacy for Sustainability in Music Education. The conference brings together researchers and educators from around the world and presents contemporary directions in music teaching, learning and research.

The paper Maritime Music Project: Designing and Implementing an Innovative Teaching Proposal Drawing on Ubiquitous Acoustic Ecologies to Connect Music and Maritime Education, co-authored with I. Kalaitzidis, was published in the Proceedings of the 9th International Conference for the Promotion of Educational Innovation. The proposal connects music, the sea and maritime education through a STEAM framework informed by acoustic ecology.

The paper Designing and implementing a STEAM proposal reflecting ubiquitous acoustic ecologies for connecting music and maritime was published in the Proceedings of the Music in Schools and Teacher Education Commission (MISTEC) of the International Society for Music Education (ISME). The publication presents a school-based scenario connecting acoustic ecologies, STEAM, musical creation and maritime themes.

The preconference seminar of the ISME Music in Schools and Teacher Education Commission (MISTEC) takes place in Tallinn from 22 to 26 July 2024 and focuses on sustainability, resilience and contemporary challenges in music education.

On 24 May 2024, Cycle I of the Early-Career Researchers Seminars at NKUA concludes with a session devoted to artificial intelligence and its possible uses in the research process. The series addresses different aspects of methodology and academic practice.

The international hybrid conference “Language, Education and Artificial Intelligence” takes place from 10 to 12 May 2024 and examines relationships among education, digital technologies and contemporary applications of artificial intelligence.

The hybrid study day “Issues in Music Pedagogy and Piano and Guitar Performance – Challenges, Problems, Prospects” takes place on 6 April 2024 at Lanitio Lyceum in Limassol and online. It is addressed to instrumental teachers, students, academics and Music School pupils.

The paper Little Music Makers & Producers: Design and Implementation of an Innovative Technological-Musical Teaching Proposal in Primary Education to Enhance Creativity was published in the Proceedings of the 13th Panhellenic and International Conference “ICT in Education”. The publication presents a 30-week pilot implementation involving 20 students in Grades 3–5 at Pierce.

The comparative study Music Curricula in Greece, Sweden, and Japan: A Comparative Qualitative Study and Reflections, co-authored with M. Kokkidou and A. Kondylidou, was published in the edited volume Epistemological and Methodological Issues in Curriculum and Textbook Research by Grafima. The chapter compares three educational systems through their official music curricula.

The article Design and development of three original music-educational digital games for admission exams in Greek music schools was published in the Journal of Culture in Tourism, Art and Education at the University of Patras. The paper presents three original digital music games designed around the content of entrance examinations for Greek Music Schools.

The paper Multisensory Music Teaching and Learning in School Music Education, co-authored with M. Kokkidou, was published in the Proceedings of the Conference “The Arts in the Greek School: Present and Future” by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The literature-based study organises the theoretical framework of multisensory music learning and connects it with established and contemporary approaches to school music education.

The study Integrating ubiquitous music ecologies into STEAM scenarios in music teaching-learning processes, co-authored with E. Perakaki, was published in the Asia-Pacific Journal for Arts Education at the Education University of Hong Kong. The paper examines how ubiquitous music ecologies can structure STEAM scenarios connecting listening, the immediate sonic environment, musical creation and technology.

The paper Towards a Model for Selecting Educational Software in Music Teaching-Learning Processes was published in the Proceedings of the 9th Conference of the Greek Society for Music Education, Music Education in a Changing World: Identities, Values, Experiences. The publication proposes a multidimensional framework for pedagogically informed selection of digital tools in music teaching.

The 15th Interdepartmental Musicology Conference takes place in Athens from 9 to 11 November 2023 and is dedicated to the centenary of Maria Callas’s birth. The programme includes presentations from different areas of musicology, music education and musical practice.

The 9th International Conference for the Promotion of Educational Innovation takes place in Larissa from 20 to 22 October 2023 and includes presentations on contemporary teaching approaches, technologies and educational applications.

The 13th Panhellenic/International Conference “ICT in Education” takes place from 29 September to 1 October 2023 at the International Hellenic University in Kavala. The programme includes research and educational applications concerning the use of digital technologies in education.

The article Instrumental Exams and Assessment Forms in Conservatoire Education: A First Overview of Current Reality was published in Educ@tional Circle. The study critically examines the examination-centred model of conservatoire education and its relationship with broader, more multidimensional approaches to assessing musical learning.

The 30th European Association for Music in Schools (EAS) Conference and the 9th ISME European Regional Conference take place in Lyon from 24 to 27 May 2023 under the theme Liberty, Equity, Creativity: Innovating and Inventing Music in the Classroom. The event focuses on creativity, equity and innovation in music education.

The chapter Educational technology as a pathway to foster inclusion and equity in music education was published by IGI Global in the Handbook of Research on Advancing Equity and Inclusion Through Educational Technology. The chapter examines educational technology through the lenses of access, participation and equity in music education.

The paper Using Video Games in Music Teaching and Learning, co-authored with R. Saltari, was published in the Proceedings of the 3rd Panhellenic Conference “Educational Game and Art in Education and Culture” by EKEDISY. The publication connects music and sound in video games with activities in listening, analysis, performance and creation.

The International Conference on Music Education Technology 2023 takes place in Hong Kong from 10 to 12 January 2023 under the theme Unfold the Future of Music Education through Technology. The programme focuses on technologies and practices shaping contemporary forms of music teaching, creation and interaction.

The study Maker Movement Practices in the “Theory of Music” Course at a Conservatory Setting in Greece: Preliminary Findings from an Educational Intervention, co-authored with M. Papazachariou-Christoforou, was published in Musical Pedagogics through EKT ePublishing. The paper examines how maker culture can transform music theory into a more experiential and creative learning environment within a conservatoire.

The 3rd Panhellenic Conference “Educational Games and Art in Education and Culture” takes place in Athens on 5–6 November 2022 and includes presentations and workshops on play and the arts in different educational settings.

The paper Integrating Contemporary Technologies into Preschool Music Teaching and Learning: An Educational Intervention Using Synth4kids with Children Aged Four to Six, co-authored with Christina Charalambidou, was published in the Proceedings of the 7th Panhellenic Scientific Conference “Integration and Use of ICT in the Educational Process”. It represents one of the earliest published stages in the research trajectory surrounding the pedagogical use of Synth4Kids.

The 7th Panhellenic Scientific Conference “Integration and Use of ICT in the Educational Process” takes place from 16 to 18 September 2022 at the University of Patras and includes research and applications concerning the use of digital technologies in education.

The international Music and Eye-Tracking conference takes place on 7–8 July 2022, organised by the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics in hybrid format. The programme includes research using eye-tracking technologies to study different forms of musical perception and interaction.

The article Designing an musical educational software combining traditional music-pedagogical methods and emerging technologies: The case of Synth4Kids was published in AIRCC’s International Journal on Integrating Technology in Education. Synth4Kids is presented as educational software for children aged 5–8, designed to connect established music-pedagogical approaches with contemporary forms of digital and tangible interaction.

The paper Maker culture activities in a music theory class at a Greek conservatoire setting: Preliminary findings from a practical intervention, co-authored with M. Papazachariou-Christoforou, was published in the Proceedings of the 2022 SEMPRE Music, Education & Technology Conference. The short paper reports initial findings from a four-month intervention integrating maker activities into a music-theory course at a Greek conservatoire.

The joint SEMPRE Music, Education & Technology / Teaching Music Online in Higher Education conference takes place online on 7–8 April 2022 and focuses on relationships between music education and technology, as well as forms of teaching developed in digital environments.

The 9th GSME Conference takes place online from 15 to 17 April 2022 under the theme “Music Education in a Changing World: Identities, Values, Experiences”. The programme includes presentations on contemporary issues in music education and the use of digital tools in teaching and learning.

The 6th Acoustic Ecology Conference takes place in Thessaloniki from 19 to 21 November 2021 and includes approaches to listening, soundscapes, technology and relationships between natural and digital sonic environments.

The 2nd Panhellenic Conference “Educational Games and Art in Education and Culture” takes place in Athens from 29 to 31 October 2021 and focuses on the use of games and the arts in different learning environments.

The 12th Interdepartmental Musicological Conference takes place online from 27 to 29 November 2020, with presentations spanning different areas of musicological research.

The programme of the 34th ISME World Conference includes a paper on designing a practice diary for instrumental and vocal teaching. The event had originally been scheduled for Helsinki but was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic; part of the programme moved online, while the related material was documented in the published proceedings.

The 7th EEMAPE–ASPETE Scientific Conference takes place in Athens on 28–29 January 2020 and focuses on the design of teaching, professional development and continuing education for teachers.