E. C. Schirmer Music Company remains one of a few American independent classical music publishers in business today. Although it was founded in Boston in 1921 by Ernest C. Schirmer (nephew of music publisher Gustav Schirmer), there has never been a direct relationship between the E. C. Schirmer and G. Schirmer music companies. The company remained in the hands of the Schirmer family until 1985, when Robert Schuneman became the principal owner and President.