The European Chamber Music Academy (ECMA) was founded in 2004 on the initiative of Hatto Beyerle. Four conservatories and two music festivals, led by the Hochschule fur Musik und Theater Hannover, came together as founding members:
The ECMA students are young, professionally oriented string quartets andpiano trios aiming to embark on a career as chamber musicians. The ECMAexists specifically to promote these careers through theoretical andpractical tuition, as well as through concrete job preparation (marketing,coaching etc.).