Adult Academy
Discover the joy of chamber music through a coaching program designed exclusively for adult amateur musicians. The program offers a perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of chamber music.
ACMC Education Programs
ChamberFlex Academy
Program tailored for upper intermediate and advanced middle and high school students passionate about chamber music and seeking a flexible rehearsal schedule.
Coltman Chamber Music Competition
The national Coltman Chamber Music Competition, launched in 2010, offers advanced applicants performance experience and expert commentary. Winners of the competition receive a cash prize and multiple performance opportunities, including a live broadcast on KMFA 89.5.
In-School Coaching
Since 1997, ACMC has developed sustainable and valuable collaborations with middle and high schools in the Austin area, offering year-round chamber music instruction to students.
School Concert Tours
School Concert Tours enable ACMC to provide Austin students with educational, unique, and engaging interactive presentations featuring local and visiting artists.
Summer Workshop
The multi-week Summer Workshop is a vibrant chamber music camp held in July. This enriching program offers musical opportunities to musicians of all ages, from youth to adults.
“It is easy to point to musical growth and education when talking about my time at ACMC, but as a physicist I don’t spend as much time as I would like playing the cello let alone chamber music. On a daily basis in any profession, especially those with strong personalities, you have to know how to connect and communicate with people. One has to be able to share ideas, listen, and engage in dialogue. This sort of soft skill is hard to teach and is easiest to learn by doing. Chamber music is the pinnacle of small group discussion, several people conversing with one another through their tone, body language, and focus both during rehearsal and performance. This dialogue during rehearsal can be literal but during performance takes on a whole new scope; an artistic representation of people communicating, yielding the floor, and speaking in tandem. For me chamber music was the perfect way to learn this pervasive part of life as a soft skill. Of course my coworkers would argue that chamber music’s greatest impact on them has been my playlists; can you ever get tired of Schubert’s double cello quintet?”
– Tate Deskins, PhD Graduate Student, Case Western Reserve University, ACMC Alum 2008
“Chamber music played a large role in my teenage years, and is still my favorite way to make music today. I learned so much about diplomacy and communication playing in smaller ensembles, lessons that have carried through to other areas in my life. I was particularly struck by the similarities between chamber music and competitive sports whilst rowing for the University of Cambridge. You have to be a leader in your own right at all times, whilst simultaneously being unerringly in sync with the people around you, relying on all your senses to communicate. Of course, it helps that both activities are so dependent upon rhythm and tempo to maintain forward momentum!”
– Caughlin Ryder, Development Officer, University of Cambridge, ACMC Alum 2006