Advanced technologies, such as VR and AI, are developing rapidly. They present the performing arts sector with new ways to design and operate performances and venues. The Metavenues project, co-funded by the European Union, explores the potential of these technologies in shaping the future of concert halls by fostering discussions, building capacity, and encouraging out of the box thinking.

La Maestra International Competition and Academy is a powerful initiative dedicated to the promotion of female conductors. Together with the Paris Mozart Orchestra and Philharmonie de Paris, ECHO aims to inspire women in music and give extra support to the youngest talents among them. Each edition features an ECHO committee awarding a prize, and the entire network provides apprenticeship opportunities to the most promising candidates.

ECHO is committed to minimising its ecological footprint, maximising environmentally sustainable practices, and acting as a good practice example for its members and for other networks. To that end, ECHO, along with 14 other European cultural networks, was awarded the official SHIFT Eco-Certification for Cultural Networks in February 2024. By implementing the SHIFT Eco-Guidelines and successfully completing a professional audit, ECHO is part of the first cohort of cultural networks that took part in the certification scheme’s pilot year.

Classical Futures Europe was a European platform for the promotion of young artists, promoted by ECHO with 17 partner concert halls, and co-funded by the European Union. Over five years, the platform offered more than 450 emerging artists (47% women) chances to experiment with technology, connect with new audiences and communities, and create innovative events. The performances, online and across 14 countries, reached over 700,000 audience members.

Keychange is a movement that strives for international cooperation against gender inequality in the music sector. ECHO pledges to a 50/50 gender distribution across new commissions, requires all selected Rising Stars to include at least one female composer work in every concert, and partners with La Maestra to support female conductors. With our participation we aim to help rebalance the gender distributions across the music landscape.