The Associated Chamber Music Players (ACMP) is an international organization of musicians - mostly amateur but also some professionals - devoted to playing chamber music. The organization publishes a directory of musicians worldwide; traveling members can contact members at their destinations and arrange chamber music sessions. The ACMP publishes a guide to chamber music workshops around the world, and has a fund to support chamber music programs.
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History
The ACMP was founded in 1947 by American businessman Leonard Strauss and Helen Rice, both amateur violinists who travelled and sought partners for chamber music evenings. Ms. Rice took the initiative to organize the first directory of chamber music players, and managed the directory and the organization until her death in 1980. Today, the directory, available both in printed form and at the ACMP website, lists more than 5,000 musicians from 57 countries.
In 1993, Clinton B. Ford, a businessman, amateur violinist and amateur astronomer, bequeathed an endowment of about six million dollars to ACMP. With the money, ACMP set up a foundation for supporting chamber music programs and workshops. Since 1994, the ACMP Foundation has given out over 3.6 million dollars in grants to chamber music schools, workshops, home coaching and other programs.
ACMP sponsors Worldwide Play-in Day, an international event where musicians gather all over the world to play chamber music on the same day. In the play-in in 2014, more than 100 groups participated worldwide
In November 2016, Jennifer Clarke, an arts administrator and consultant and founder of Melodia Women's Choir of NYC, was named Executive Director.
ACMP maintains a website, "The Chamber Music Network", which provides information to ACMP members and the public.
The ACMP Foundation
The ACMP Foundation provides grants to encourage chamber music. According to the ACMP website, the objective of the fund is to "foster the playing of chamber music for people of all ages and skill levels". The foundation offers grants to community music schools, for members who want to invite a professional coach to their chamber music sessions and special initiatives. Recipients have included music education programs, youth orchestras and workshop organizers in the United States, Europe, Israel, and elsewhere. Also included are grants to individual amateur ensembles who seek lessons from professional players.