On July 12, 2020 Marcelo Giglio, internationally recognised music educator, researcher, and scholar passed away unexpectedly at the age of 54. As a member of the ISME Research Commission since 2010 and Commissioner since 2016, Marcelo is well respected professionally and personally, leaving many in our community with both heavy hearts and a shared sense of deep sadness.
In his professional capacity as Professor and Head of Creativities and Collaborations in Education at the University of Teacher Education HEP-BEJUNE, Switzerland and Lecturer at the Institute of Psychology and Education at the University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland, Dr. Giglio pursued his passion of studying creativity by researching student-to-student and teacher-to-student interactions during episodes of musical creativity. His focus on the collaborative aspect of creativity in the music classroom became the content of research papers at the ISME Research Commission Seminars and other national and international music research conferences. An Argentinian by birth and someone who enjoyed traveling, Marcelo presented at the First Argentinian Seminar on Research in Music Education in 1995 and was active in world and regional conferences throughout Europe and Latin America. A polyglot himself, his transdisciplinary research shows a lived multicultural understanding.
As an outgrowth of his research, Dr. Giglio authored three books, two as sole author and one with two co-authors. The most recent entitled Creative Collaboration in Teaching (2015), published by Palgrave MacMillian, is available in Spanish, French, and English.
In his capacity as one of the ISME Research Commissioners, Marcelo was one of the leaders in organising our 28th ISME Seminar on Research in Music Education to be held virtually July 27-31, 2020. Well known throughout our commission, members have fond memories of him as a vibrant, passionate, generous, caring, cheerful, and wonderful colleague with a playful spirit. Marcelo was a powerful advocate for music education nationally and internationally, a truly wonderful person who was kind, enthusiastic, positive, a real gentleman with an infectious smile, well-respected by his colleagues, and someone who made those of us who knew him better people as we were all touched by his generosity of spirit.
Marcelo is survived by his wife, Christiane Droz, to whom he was happily married; and their three children, Théa, Nina and Roméo.
The ISME Research Commission will recognise Dr. Marcelo Giglio in a special tribute on July 27, 2020, the opening day of our seminar. Our members have many fond memories of our time together with Marcelo. He was profoundly loved and appreciated as a member of our international community of music education researchers. He will be deeply missed.
ISME adds our sympathies to family, friends and colleague of Marcelo Giglio. What a terrible shock and yes, he will be very much missed.