The study investigates the impact of designing the education curriculum with a multicultural perspective on students' artistic cognitive abilities in music education in China. Qualitative research, including semi-structured interviews, music class observations, and document analysis, formed the basis of the study. The findings suggest that music education has undergone significant changes, but a multicultural approach is not yet widely adopted. The upgraded curriculum now includes multicultural music exposure, aiming to enhance students' cross-cultural understanding and contribute to their cognitive development. The cognitive abilities cultivated through a multicultural perspective in music pedagogies include critical analysis, problem-solving, creativity, innovation, and collaborative skills. Specifically, critical thinking receives significant emphasis in the evolving context of music education. Despite existing barriers and impediments that limit the full potential of a multicultural perspective, the study asserts that dedicated actions and stakeholder engagement can help overcome these challenges and enable the realisation of strategic benefits associated with multicultural music education.