Erkki Huovinen

Erkki Huovinen is a Professor of Music Education at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Sweden, since 2016. Previously, he held professorships in Musicology at multiple Finnish universities and was a Visiting Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Music. He earned his PhD in Musicology at the University of Turku in 2002, focusing on tonality perception in melodies. His research spans the psychology of music, philosophy of music, and music education, with a focus on creativity, improvisation pedagogy, and mixed-methods approaches.

• Key Research Areas: Music and imagination, empirical studies on musical creativity, eye-tracking in music reading, theoretical understanding of musical aesthetics.
• Major Projects: Led the Academy of Finland’s Reading Music: Eye-Movements and the Development of Expertise (2014–2018), exploring visual processes in music reading.
• Publications: Over 50 peer-reviewed articles and book contributions, including works on music perception, improvisation psychology, and interdisciplinary methodologies.

His research integrates qualitative and quantitative methods, such as microphenomenological interviews and eye-tracking studies. He has also contributed to textbooks like Musiikkipsykologia and edited volumes on musical improvisation. His work frequently bridges empirical research with philosophical inquiry, emphasizing the interplay between theory and practice.

Grant History: Academy of Finland consortium leader (2014–2018). Teaching: Focuses on music education innovation and interdisciplinary pedagogy. Labs/Teams: Collaborates with interdisciplinary groups in cognitive science and music technology.