Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media (; abbreviated to HMTMH) is a university of performing arts and media in Hanover, the capital of Lower Saxony, Germany. Dating to , it has reorganised and changed names as it developed over the years, most recently in 2010 when it changed from State College of Music and Drama Hanover (, or simply ). From 2010 until March 2024, its president was Susanne Rode-Breymann. As of , the university has students, and as of a total of staff.
The origins of the university date back to 1897 with the establishment of the private Conservatory of Music (). However, just over a decade later, in 1911, it became the conservatory for the city and changed name to Hanover Conservatory (, also called ). In 1943, during the Second World War, it became State Music School (). After the war, in 1950, it merged with the private Hanover Drama School () becoming the Academy of Music and Theatre (), before attaining college status () a few years later in 1958 (although back-dated to 1 April 1957) and being separated into the Lower Saxon College of Music and Theatre () and the Lower Saxon School for Music Hanover (). However, on 1 October 1962 these two were recombined into the State College of Music and Drama Hanover (, abbreviated to HMTH and simply called ).
Between 1970 and 1973 a new dedicated main building was constructed at the very edge of the Eilenriede city forest. In 1992 the European Centre for Jewish Music, established in Augsburg in 1988 by and dealing with the documentation and reconstruction of Jewish liturgical music, was relocated to the and which has since been an institute of the university. Since 2001 the university has had the Institute for Early Advancement of Highly Gifted Musicians (, abbreviated to IFF), and in 2010 the Institute of Chamber Music and the Institute for Early Music was founded.
From above, the main building of the university has the shape of an ear, which is also reflected in the university's logo. At the time of its construction it was one of the most modern buildings designed specifically for an artistic institution. In addition to the main building, the university has sites throughout Hanover:
The emphasis at HMTMH is music education, artistic education, solo training, and theatre training. Also taught are jazz, rock, pop as part of a popular music program, with an emphasis on jazz. The study programs in the areas of piano, orchestra and chamber music are particularly pronounced, especially in artistic education and music education.
The drama and opera departments are in close cooperation with Hanover State Opera, Hanover Drama and the radio orchestra of the northern German broadcaster NDR. The university stages about two annual opera productions, including premieres, and about three orchestral concerts. The university also maintains artistic and scientific relations with several national and international music colleges and universities, including in Switzerland, Eastern Europe and East Asia.
HMTMH owns an organ in the New Town Church, situated about west-southwest of the main building, that is used for teaching and concerts. Called the Spanish organ, it was installed on the north balcony in 1998âÂÂ2001 and reflects principles of Spanish Baroque organ building without copying a specific instrument.
The university has had the following recent presidents: