As cross-cultural educational research expands, adapting qualitative instruments across linguistic and cultural contexts has become a methodological priority. However, bilingual tools for curriculum leadership, particularly those addressing music career employability, remain underexplored. This study addresses that gap by translating and validating an English-language instrument into Chinese, ensuring both conceptual clarity and contextual relevance. The instrument comprises 49 open-ended items across three role-specific protocols: academic leaders, music lecturers, and students, covering six core dimensions of curriculum leadership for music career employability. Following Beaton et al.’s framework for cross-cultural adaptation, the process involved forward translation, synthesis, back translation, expert panel review, and pilot testing. To assess reliability, three bilingual experts rated each item for semantic and conceptual equivalence using a 4-point Likert scale. Inter-rater agreement, measured with Fleiss’ Kappa, showed substantial reliability (0.76). Four items with moderate agreement (<0.60) were revised following expert feedback to ensure precision and contextual alignment. The validated Chinese version maintained the original conceptual framework while ensuring linguistic clarity and contextual relevance. Grounded in theories of cross-cultural adaptation, construct validity, and measurement, this study presents a systematic and replicable model for validating bilingual qualitative instruments in education. The protocol facilitates empirical research into curriculum leadership and employability development in Chinese higher music education while offering potential for broader cross-cultural application.