The article is dedicated to highlight the artistic and pedagogical innovations of Professor O. Rostovsky and reveal their meaning in the context of the development of domestic art education. The authors made a brief analysis of the achievements of the musician-teacher, which gives reasons to speak about their undeniable value. It is emphasized that today it is difficult to overestimate the scientist’s contribution to school art education, methods of teaching lessons in general secondary education institutions, the system of training future teachers of music, etc. From today’s point of view, such works as «Methods of teaching music in primary school», «Methods of teaching music in secondary school», «Lectures on the history of Western European music pedagogy»,«Pedagogy of music perception», «Theory and methods of music education» not only do not lose their relevance, but on the contrary find more and more supporters. The results of musical and pedagogical activity of the scientist, who was deeply convinced of the importance of the profession of music teacher, the need to achieve a high level of pedagogical skills, gained special importance in the conditions of formation of the young state and development of the national education system. It substantiates new conceptual approaches to improving the quality of school art education, the need to update music programs, lesson content, rethink their goals and problems, study and generalize the best domestic and European experience, the widespread introduction of innovative developments in educational practice. One of the important activities of the scientist was the scientific guidance of dissertation research in the field of music pedagogy. The article emphasizes that the scientific school of Professor O. Rostovsky is characterized by innovative approaches to solving current problems of art pedagogy, and the results of research novelty and validity of conclusions. The authors of the article defend the need for further study of the achievements of the scientist, as they are convinced of their novelty and undeniable value for modern theory and practice of art education.