Special Issue Editorial: “Care Ethics in the Education of Children Gifted for Music”

Abstract

This editorial introduces the Special Issue, “Care Ethics in the Education of Children Gifted for Music,” addressing the tension between accelerated, performance-driven training and the holistic, socio-emotional flourishing of young musicians. Specialised music education, often content- and mastery-focused, has been criticised for neglecting children’s rights and contemporary understandings of well-being. In response, this Special Issue presents five articles that centre Care Ethics as a relational and structural framework for transformation. Drawing on Gilligan, Held, Noddings, and Tronto, these contributions explore care across four dimensions: theoretical critique, systemic analysis of global institutional practices, relational ecosystems of family and community, and innovative pedagogical approaches. Together, they show that moving beyond high-pressure conservatory models requires shifting from technical detachment to “ecosystems of care” that protect rights, agency, and authentic aesthetic flourishing. The Issue asserts that technical excellence and ethical care are inseparable, co-constituting a sustainable, meaningful musical life.