Musica Viva was founded in 1945 by Romanian-born violinist Richard Goldner, with the aim of bringing chamber music to Australia. The co-founder was a German-born musicologist, Walter Dullo. At its inception, Musica Viva was a string ensemble performing chamber music to small groups of European immigrants. By 2013, Musica Viva had become one of the largest chamber music presenters in the world. Musica Viva runs a large music education programs across Australia, called Musica Viva In Schools. The CEO is Hywel Sims. The Artistic Director is conductor and author Paul Kildea.