UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music

What UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music does

The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music is a music school within the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), a public research university in the UC system. The school offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs (BA, BM, MM, DMA) across Music Performance, Education and Composition, Musicology, Ethnomusicology, Global Jazz Studies, and Music Industry, supported by an 11–100-person faculty housed at the Schoenberg Music Building in Westwood, Los Angeles. Its operations are anchored by named centers and institutes including the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance, the Berry Gordy Music Industry Center, the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience, the Gramian-Emrani Center for Iranian Music, and the Armenian Music Program with its internationally touring VEM Ensemble; the school also operates the Faculty Artist Series, UCLA Jazzfest, summer intensives for high school students, and community engagement programs (Gluck Fellows, Hancock Jazz Outreach, Music Partnership, Music for Food), hosting 200+ events per year, the majority free and open to the public.

The school's underlying "technology" is the combination of physical performance infrastructure (Schoenberg Hall, Lani Hall, Zipper Hall, the Ethnomusicology Archive, and a World Music Instrument Collection) and a partnership and distribution network that includes the Ehnes Quartet residency, the Sphinx Organization, New Focus Recordings/Naxos, the Hammer Museum, and the UC admissions funnel. The business model is a standard public-university tuition-and-fee structure supplemented by philanthropic donations and named gifts (e.g., a $3M Herb Alpert Foundation gift in 2019), with revenue and financials reported at the UC system level rather than for the school individually. Customers are prospective and current UCLA students, high school students in pre-college programs, the broader Los Angeles community attending free events, and alumni/donors supporting scholarships and program funding.

The school's customer base is structurally diversified across degree-seeking students, pre-college participants, and the general public, with no single enterprise customer accounting for a material share of revenue. Concentration risk is therefore low; revenue predictability is tied to UC enrollment cycles, state and university funding, and philanthropic giving rather than any single anchor account.

Name

UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music

Legal name

UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music

Website

https://schoolofmusic.ucla.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music is a public music school within UCLA offering undergraduate and graduate degrees across performance, musicology, ethnomusicology, global jazz, and music industry, serving students, high school pre-college participants, and the broader Los Angeles community through 200+ annual events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education - Music

NAICS

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), Music Production, Recording & Audio Engineering (EDAMANAH), Music Production & Composition (Songwriting, Recording, DJing) (EDAMAAAF), Music Theory, Ear Training & Musicianship (EDAMANAF)

Keywords

• Music education
• Performance training
• Music degree programs
• Jazz studies
• Music composition

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: As a UCLA school, revenue is generated through undergraduate and graduate tuition for music degree programs including BA, BM, MM, and DMA degrees across various concentrations.
2. Donations and Support: The school encourages visitors to 'Support Us' indicating reliance on charitable donations and alumni giving for program funding and scholarships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music is a public music school that delivers undergraduate and graduate music degree programs (BA, BM, MM, DMA) across performance, composition, education, musicology, ethnomusicology, global jazz studies, and music industry. It also operates concert series, ensembles, summer intensives, and community engagement programs serving students, musicians, and the Los Angeles public.

Product overview

The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music is a comprehensive music school offering undergraduate and graduate degrees across multiple disciplines including Ethnomusicology, Global Jazz Studies, Music Industry, Music Performance/Education/Composition, and Musicology. The school operates as a platform of interconnected programs with the Department of Music Performance, Education & Composition at its core, supplemented by specialized centers such as the Armenian Music Program, Herbie Hancock Institute, Berry Gordy Music Industry Center, and Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience. The institution also hosts numerous ensembles (including the VEM Ensemble), concert series (Faculty Artist Series, UCLA Jazzfest), and outreach programs (Music for Food, Gluck Fellows Program), all designed to provide students with comprehensive training spanning performance, academic study, and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Music Performance, Education & Composition Program Comprehensive programs in music performance, music education, and composition covering all orchestral instruments, voice, and music theory. For undergraduate and graduate students pursuing professional music careers.
• Ethnomusicology Program The study of global musical traditions through performance training, research, and field work, offered as BA, MA/PhD, and Minor programs. For students interested in cross-cultural music research and performance.
• Global Jazz Studies Program Jazz performance and musicianship courses paired with African American Studies, offered as a BA program. For students pursuing global jazz performance with cultural and academic depth.
• Music Industry Program A leadership-focused professional degree preparing students to transform the creative, entrepreneurial, and executive structures of the music industry, offered as a BA and Minor. For students pursuing music business and industry careers.
• Musicology Program The scholarly study of the histories, cultures, and critical interpretations of music and music-making, offered as BA, MA/PhD, and Minor. For students pursuing music scholarship and research.
• Armenian Music Program An internationally renowned program dedicated to celebrating and preserving Armenian music traditions, featuring the VEM Ensemble and the Lernazang Ensemble. For students, scholars, and audiences interested in Armenian musical heritage.
• Summer Intensives for High School Students Intensive summer programs in global jazz, music industry, music production, songwriting, and vocal techniques for high school students seeking pre-college music training and skill development.
• Faculty Artist Series A concert series featuring world-class faculty performing global jazz traditions, European classical masterpieces, and cutting-edge contemporary art music. Open to the public.
• UCLA Jazzfest A three-day jazz festival held every Fall, Winter, and Spring, featuring student ensembles under faculty direction across small combos, big band, Afro-Latin jazz, and contemporary works. Open to the public.
• VEM Ensemble An internationally renowned string quartet — the cornerstone ensemble of the Armenian Music Program — celebrating the richness and diversity of the Armenian musical tradition through performances at UCLA venues and international tours (Armenia, Boston, Montreal, Detroit, Italy).
• Ehnes Quartet Residency A three-year partnership with the Ehnes Quartet as the school's visiting string quartet in residence, featuring a comprehensive six-concert chronological Beethoven Quartet Cycle exploring Beethoven's complete string quartets. For students, faculty, and ticket-buying public audiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 events annually, mostly free and open to public
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ehnes QuartetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ehnes Quartet has a three-year partnership with the school as its visiting string quartet in residence. They are launching a comprehensive Beethoven Quartet Cycle—a six-concert chronological exploration of Beethoven's complete string quartets.
• Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz PerformancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA prestigious jazz performance institute housed within the school, continuing the legacy of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance (formerly Monk Institute).
• New Focus RecordingsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRecord label (Naxos-distributed) that has released multiple Armenian Music Program recordings including Modulation Necklace and Serenade with a Dandelion by the VEM Ensemble.
• Gluck Fellows ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity engagement program bringing music education and outreach to the broader community through student performances and educational activities.
• Hancock Institute Jazz Outreach ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJazz outreach program extending the school's community engagement through jazz education and performance.
• Music Partnership ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity engagement initiative connecting the school with broader music education partnerships.
• Sphinx OrganizationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVEM Ensemble member Damon Zavala manages community arts organizations for the Sphinx Organization to enhance representation of underrepresented communities in orchestral settings.
• United World College DilijanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVEM Ensemble conducted workshops for students during their Armenia tour residency in Dilijan.
• Hammer MuseumminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLos Angeles cultural institution where VEM Ensemble performed 'Resonances: The Music of Armenia' concert commemorating the Armenian Holocaust.
• Berry Gordy Music Industry CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNamed center within the school supporting music industry education and research.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Eastman School of Music (University of Rochester): A top US music school within a research university offering comprehensive undergraduate and graduate programs in performance, composition, jazz, and music education. Competes with UCLA for top classical and jazz applicants, with comparable institutional scale, university affiliation, and program breadth.
• The Juilliard School: The preeminent US music conservatory, offering BM, MM, and DMA degrees across performance, composition, and jazz. Competes with UCLA Herb Alpert for top classical and jazz applicants nationally, with significantly larger endowment and prestige; UCLA alumni have placed at Juilliard faculty, illustrating direct talent overlap.
• New England Conservatory: A premier independent conservatory in Boston offering BM, MM, and DMA degrees across classical, jazz, and contemporary music. Direct competitor for top-tier performance applicants; comparable program structure and faculty-driven studio model make it a close peer in the conservatory market.
• USC Thornton School of Music: The most direct local peer, also a comprehensive music school within a major Los Angeles research university (USC), offering undergraduate and graduate degrees across classical, jazz, and music industry. UCLA and USC compete head-to-head for the same Southern California applicant pool and faculty, with overlapping degree programs and similar institutional positioning.
• Curtis Institute of Music: A small, highly selective conservatory in Philadelphia offering certificates and BM degrees in classical performance and composition. Competes with UCLA Herb Alpert for the top classical performance applicants, offering a more specialized, performance-focused alternative.
• Manhattan School of Music: A leading NYC conservatory offering BM, MM, and DMA degrees across classical, jazz, and contemporary music. Comparable in scale, program mix, and applicant pool to UCLA Herb Alpert, with similar emphasis on performance training across genres.
• Yale School of Music: A premier US music school within a leading research university, offering MM, MMA, DMA, and Artist Diploma programs. Closely comparable to UCLA Herb Alpert in combining university affiliation with conservatory-level classical training; competes for top graduate-level performers.
• Berklee College of Music: The world's largest dedicated music college, focused on contemporary music, production, songwriting, and music business, with strong jazz programs. Most direct peer for UCLA's Music Industry, music production, songwriting, and global jazz offerings, competing for similar career-oriented applicants.
• Peabody Institute (Johns Hopkins University): A prestigious conservatory within Johns Hopkins, offering BM, MM, and DMA programs in classical, jazz, and composition. Directly comparable to UCLA Herb Alpert in being a conservatory embedded within a major research university, with similar program breadth and applicant competition.

Regional players

• Royal College of Music (London): A leading international conservatory in the UK offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in classical performance, composition, and jazz. Comparable in caliber and scope, but operates outside the US applicant's primary geography, making it a regional/international peer rather than direct domestic competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UCLAalpert
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCiX0T-1XuNjI8qgyOJJcIAw
• Facebookfacebook.com/UCLAalpert
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uclaalpert
• Instagraminstagram.com/uclaalpert

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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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 UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music