What Midori & Friends does

Midori & Friends is a New York City-based nonprofit arts-education organization (legal entity: The Midori Foundation Inc.) founded in 1992 by world-renowned violinist Midori. It provides tuition-free, sequential music education to PreK-12 students in underserved public and charter schools across all five boroughs, where the organization estimates over half of public school students lack music instruction access. The organization is staffed by 11-50 employees and operates from a single headquarters at 251 W 30th St, Suite 15E in Midtown Manhattan.

The core offering is a portfolio of six interconnected programs: Play to Learn (instrumental and vocal instruction for strings, percussion, woodwinds, and chorus), the Kazuko Hojo Classical Series (classical ensemble performances), Celebrate! Music (interactive world-music concerts and workshops with professional ensembles), the Passport Series (cultural immersion workshops covering Japan, China, Africa, and Latin America), the Laraine Fischer NEXTGen Fellowship (paid teen leadership and musicianship program), and Journey to Japan (K-5 Japanese cultural immersion). Three named scholarships (Samara Joy, Maureen Guthman Memorial, Isaac Stern Fellowship) underwrite NEXTGen participants. In 2025-2026, the organization reached 10,887 students through 3,110 instructional hours across 119 partner sites.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded: revenue streams comprise corporate and foundation grants (U.S. Bank Foundation, Morgan Stanley, MUFG, Lotos Foundation, Musicians Advocacy Fund, Alan Fischer and the Fischer Family, Roberta Conroy), public funding (NYC Cultural Development Fund), individual donations (suggested tiers $100-$1,000), and event sponsorships. Annual revenue is not publicly disclosed. The organization employs no technology platform or proprietary product; the entire value proposition is delivered by human teaching artists recruited from top conservatories, with a brand moat tied to founder Midori's celebrity and 34+ years of NYC school relationships.

Name

Midori & Friends

Legal name

The Midori Foundation Inc.

Website

https://midoriandfriends.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

New York City-based nonprofit founded in 1992 by violinist Midori, providing tuition-free sequential music education and cultural enrichment programs to PreK-12 students in underserved public and charter schools across all five boroughs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Music Education Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Instruction (Instrumental & Vocal) (EDAMAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Music Schools & Conservatory Prep (Pre-College) (EDAMANAE), Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC), Early Childhood Music Education (Ages 0–7) (EDAMANAD)

Keywords

• Music education services
• Nonprofit youth arts
• School music programs
• Community music workshops
• Teen music leadership

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Midori & Friends receives funding from corporate foundations (e.g., U.S. Bank Foundation $15,000 grant) and private foundations to support program operations and expansion.
2. Individual Donations: The organization accepts donations from individuals with suggested amounts of $100 (instrument repairs), $250 (guest artist workshop), $500 (student recital sponsorship), and $1,000 (curriculum development).
3. Government Funding: NYC Cultural Development Fund provides public funding to support programming.
4. Event Sponsorship: Corporate partnerships include event sponsorship opportunities where organizations align with the mission to transform lives through music.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Midori & Friends delivers tuition-free sequential music education programs to New York City public and charter school students in grades PreK-12 who lack access to the arts. Its core offerings combine in-school instrumental and vocal instruction, classical and world-music concert-and-workshop residencies, cultural-immersion experiences, and a paid teen leadership and musicianship fellowship, all delivered on-site at partner schools and community venues across the five boroughs.

Product overview

Midori & Friends is a nonprofit music education organization offering a portfolio of tuition-free programs for NYC students in grades PreK-12. The core offering consists of five interconnected programs: Play to Learn (instrumental and vocal instruction for PreK-12 students), the Kazuko Hojo Classical Series (classical ensemble performances in schools), Celebrate! Music (interactive world-music concerts and workshops), the Passport Series (cultural immersion workshops in Japanese, African, Latin American, and Chinese traditions), and the Laraine Fischer NEXTGen Fellowship (a paid teen leadership and musicianship program). These programs are supplemented by three named scholarships — the Samara Joy Scholarship, the Maureen Guthman Memorial Scholarship, and the Isaac Stern Fellowship — which provide financial support and mentorship to outstanding NEXTGen participants. Together, the programs serve over 10,000 students annually across 68+ school and community partners, providing sequential music education, cultural enrichment, and youth leadership development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Play to Learn: Program providing high-quality instrumental and vocal instruction to students in grades PreK-12.
• NEXTGen Fellowship
• Celebrate! Music
• Passport Series
• Kazuko Hojo Classical Series
• Laraine Fischer NEXTGen Fellowship

Products and services

• Play to Learn Play to Learn provides high-quality instrumental and vocal instruction to students in grades PreK-12 in New York City public and charter schools, covering strings, percussion, woodwinds, and chorus for up to 20 weeks during and after school. It targets NYC schools serving students with little or no access to music instruction.
• Kazuko Hojo Classical Series The Kazuko Hojo Classical Series brings classical music ensembles to NYC public and charter schools for live performances and educational presentations. It targets K-12 students with limited exposure to classical music performance.
• Celebrate! Music Celebrate! Music provides an interactive concert and workshop experience featuring rich musical traditions from diverse cultures around the world, bringing world-class ensembles into K-8 classrooms. It targets NYC public and charter school students.
• Passport Series The Passport Series is an immersive series of workshops that transports students to Japan, China, Africa, and Latin America through hands-on cultural activities delivered in their classrooms. It covers Journey to Japan, Adventures in Africa, Let's Go Latin America, and Connections to China, and targets NYC K-8 students.
• Laraine Fischer NEXTGen Fellowship The Laraine Fischer NEXTGen Fellowship is a paid leadership, artistry, and advocacy training program for New York City high school musicians. It includes private music lessons, masterclasses, career labs, weekly sessions in person and online, and a culminating arts advocacy project, with a 100% college acceptance rate among participants.
• Samara Joy Scholarship The Samara Joy Scholarship is awarded annually to one promising vocal student enrolled in the Laraine Fischer NEXTGen Fellowship, supporting young vocalists with talent and potential regardless of background.
• Maureen Guthman Memorial Scholarship The Maureen Guthman Memorial Scholarship was established in memory of Maureen Guthman, a senior executive at BET Networks, to support underrepresented students in the Laraine Fischer NEXTGen Fellowship, honoring her commitment to diversity in entertainment.
• Isaac Stern Fellowship The Isaac Stern Fellowship underwrites two violin students' participation in the NEXTGen Musician program, honoring the legacy of Isaac Stern, first President of Carnegie Hall.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% college acceptance rate for NEXTGen Fellowship participants
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Frank Lang / Taro's Origami StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrank Lang provides origami instruction as a teaching partner for the Journey to Japan program.
• Chiaki Torisu / Consulate General of Japan in NYCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChiaki Torisu from the Consulate General of Japan in NYC provides Ikebana (flower arrangement) instruction for the Journey to Japan program.
• Keiko KobayashiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKeiko Kobayashi provides Japanese calligraphy instruction as a teaching partner for the Journey to Japan program.
• Fumi Tanakadate / Kaoru Watanabe Taiko CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFumi Tanakadate from Kaoru Watanabe Taiko Center provides taiko drumming instruction for the Journey to Japan program.
• Mamie Nishide / Japanese Cooking StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMamie Nishide provides onigiri (Japanese rice ball) cooking instruction as a cultural ambassador for the Journey to Japan program.
• Kevin Susuki / Japanese Folk Dance Institute of NYminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKevin Susuki from the Japanese Folk Dance Institute of NY provides Japanese folk dance instruction for the Journey to Japan program.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• VH1 Save The Music Foundation: Foundation that donates instruments and supports music programs in under-resourced public schools. Shares the tuition-free K-12 music-access mission and similar foundation/corporate funding model.
• Little Kids Rock (Music Will): National nonprofit providing free music instruction and instruments to under-resourced public schools, with a focus on modern band and popular music. Comparable in delivering tuition-free K-12 music education through school partnerships, though at larger geographic scale.
• Harmony Program: NYC-based nonprofit providing free, intensive after-school instrument instruction to children from underserved communities, using a conservatory-trained teaching-artist model. Direct peer in mission, geography, and delivery model.
• Kaufman Music Center: NYC-based nonprofit operating music education, performance, and youth programs including the Special Music School. Operates in the same NYC geography with overlapping K-12 music instruction and youth-development offerings.
• Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation: Nonprofit that donates musical instruments and supports K-12 music programs in under-resourced schools across the U.S. Comparable mission of expanding music education access to underserved youth.
• Berklee City Music: Berklee College of Music's nonprofit network providing tuition-free contemporary music education to underserved youth at affiliate sites across multiple U.S. cities. Comparable in its use of conservatory-grade instruction for underserved K-12 students.

Broad incumbents

• El Sistema USA: U.S. federation of El Sistema-inspired programs delivering intensive ensemble-based music education to children in underserved communities. Comparable philosophy (intensive, tuition-free ensemble music education for at-risk youth) but operates through affiliates nationally.
• The Juilliard School (K-12 & Pre-College programs): Major conservatory running pre-college, K-12, and community engagement programs including tuition-free initiatives. Overlaps with Midori & Friends in serving advanced young musicians in NYC and supplying the conservatory-graduate teaching-artist pool.
• Carnegie Hall (Weill Music Institute): Carnegie Hall's education arm runs tuition-free music programs in NYC public schools serving tens of thousands of students annually. It is the most prominent comparable institution in Midori & Friends' immediate geography and target audience (NYC underserved K-12 students).

Regional players

• The Diller-Quaile School of Music: NYC-based community music school offering early-childhood and school-age music instruction with a partial scholarship program for under-resourced families. Adjacent in offering sequential music education to NYC youth but with a tuition-based core.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/midoriandfriends
• Instagraminstagram.com/midoriandfriends
• Xx.com/midorifriends

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Midori & Friends