Federal Way Symphony

What Federal Way Symphony does

The Federal Way Symphony is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit regional orchestra founded in 1983 in Federal Way, Washington (Tax ID 23-7310860). Under the direction of Music Director Adam Stern (appointed in 2020 to succeed founding conductor Brian Davenport), it employs a small paid staff — office manager, orchestra manager, music librarian, and conductor — supplemented by an all-volunteer Board of Directors and contractually hired professional musicians. The organization presents approximately six concerts per season (three classical, two jazz/big band, one holiday) plus annual festival participation, performing at the municipally supported Federal Way Performing Arts & Events Center (PAEC), a state-of-the-art venue completed in 2018 with acoustic fidelity reported as second only to Benaroya Hall in the Puget Sound region.

The core product is live symphonic performance, spanning traditional classical repertoire (Haydn, Mozart, Tchaikovsky), jazz and big band programs under co-directors Todd Zimberg and Lonnie Mardis, holiday concerts featuring the Federal Way Chorale, and themed specials such as Broadway celebrations and the Centerstage Theatre co-production 'Celebrating Innovation: Sondheim/Stravinsky.' Auxiliary offerings include the Conductor's Club donor program ($1,000+ tier with exclusive receptions), the annual Rhythm & Brews community festival, and youth/education outreach including school visits, free youth tickets (under 18), and scholarships via the Federal Way Youth Symphony and Key to Change partnerships.

The revenue model is a typical three-leg nonprofit stack: (1) ticket sales — adult $39, senior/military $29, youth free — sold primarily through the PAEC box office (fwpaec.org, phone, and on-site) and Etix for subscription packages; (2) private donations and Conductor's Club memberships via the wagives.org portal; and (3) institutional grants from King County 4Culture, the City of Federal Way, ArtsFund, and foundations including the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. The source material explicitly states ticket sales cover only a small portion of operating costs, making donor and grant flows financially critical. Pricing is structured to balance accessibility (free youth, discounted seniors) with sustainable adult pricing. The organization returned to live performance in June 2021 after COVID-related virtual-only operations, and the 2025-2026 season extends programming through May 2026.

Name

Federal Way Symphony

Legal name

Federal Way Symphony

Website

https://federalwaysymphony.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Federal Way Symphony is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional regional orchestra founded in 1983 in Federal Way, Washington, presenting six concerts per season — classical, jazz/big band, and holiday — at the Federal Way Performing Arts & Events Center, funded through ticket sales, private donations, and government and foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Symphony Orchestra Services

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (711130)

akta.pro primary industry

Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC)

Keywords

• Symphony orchestra performances
• Classical music concerts
• Jazz big band concerts
• Community performing arts
• Music education outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Federal Way

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from single-concert tickets and season ticket subscriptions for orchestral performances, jazz/big band concerts, and holiday events. Ticket sales provide only a small part of the funds necessary to support programs.
2. Private Donations: Individual donations and contributions from private donors, with the Conductor's Club recognizing donors contributing $1,000+ annually with special recognition, concert program acknowledgment, and invitations to post-concert receptions.
3. Government and Foundation Grants: Funding from government entities and foundations including King County 4Culture and City of Federal Way. All contributions are tax-deductible as the organization is a 501(c)(3) registered charitable organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Federal Way Symphony is a professional regional symphony orchestra that presents live concert performances — primarily classical orchestral works and jazz/big band concerts, alongside holiday and themed special concerts — at the Federal Way Performing Arts & Events Center in Federal Way, Washington. Its offering is delivered through a six-concert season of ticketed public events performed by paid professional musicians, supplemented by youth and education programs, donor membership tiers, and occasional community festivals such as Rhythm & Brews.

Product overview

Federal Way Symphony is a professional regional orchestra organization offering a portfolio of live music experiences. The core offering consists of traditional classical symphony concerts featuring works by composers such as Mozart, Haydn, and Tchaikovsky, complemented by Big Band/Jazz concerts under the Federal Way Big Band, and annual Holiday concerts with the Federal Way Chorale. The symphony also produces Special Theme Concerts including silent film accompaniment and Broadway celebrations. Supporting programs include Youth and Education initiatives providing free concert tickets for youth under 18, school outreach, and musician scholarships, plus the Conductor's Club donor membership tier. The organization presents approximately six concerts per season (three classical, two jazz/big band, one holiday) at the Federal Way Performing Arts & Events Center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Classical Symphony Concerts Traditional orchestral performances featuring classical compositions (e.g., Mozart, Haydn, Tchaikovsky, Baroque masters) performed by the professional Federal Way Symphony orchestra for general audiences; three classical concerts are presented per season.
• Big Band / Jazz Concerts Jazz and big band performances by the Federal Way Big Band under co-directors Todd Zimberg and Lonnie Mardis, featuring swing, jazz standards, and big band standards; two such concerts are presented per season.
• Holiday Concerts Annual holiday celebration performances featuring the Federal Way Chorale, emerging artists, and traditional holiday repertoire, including Handel's Messiah selections and French Baroque compositions.
• Special Theme Concerts Specialized themed concert programs such as silent film accompaniment (Lights... Camera... Music!), Broadway selections, and innovation celebrations honoring specific composers (e.g., Sondheim and Stravinsky).
• Rhythm & Brews Festival Annual outdoor music and craft beverage festival at Town Square Park featuring live music, craft beverages, food vendors, and local artisans; proceeds benefit Federal Way Symphony music and education programs.
• Youth and Education Programs Community education and outreach programming including school visits by Music Director Adam Stern, free youth concert tickets for those under 18, scholarships for young musicians through partnerships with the Federal Way Youth Symphony and Key to Change, and featuring emerging artists as soloists.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free tickets available for all youth under 18, making concerts accessible to families
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Federal Way Youth SymphonycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing scholarships for young musicians. The symphony is committed to nurturing the region's talented young artists through this collaboration.
• Key to ChangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Key to Change violin studio providing scholarships for young musicians. Emerging artists from this program have performed as soloists with the symphony.
• Federal Way ChoralecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration performing together on holiday concerts, including presentations of Handel's Messiah choruses. The chorale president has noted the value of this collaboration.
• Centerstage TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for the 'Celebrating Innovation: Sondheim/Stravinsky' concert celebrating two composers who transformed 20th century arts.
• Puyallup School DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district collaboration where Music Director Adam Stern visited Glacier View Junior High and Emerald Ridge High School orchestras for educational workshops.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Northwest Sinfonietta: A chamber-sized professional orchestra based in the Puget Sound region that presents a ticketed concert season of classical works. Comparable in scale, regional positioning, and reliance on mixed funding (ticket revenue plus philanthropy) to Federal Way Symphony.
• Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra: A regional community orchestra in the Puget Sound area also led by Music Director Adam Stern. Operates a comparable model — paid professional musicians, mixed classical/pops programming, and ticketed concert seasons — making it the closest operational and artistic peer to Federal Way Symphony.
• Sammamish Symphony: A Puget Sound regional symphony also under the music directorship of Adam Stern, presenting a similar model of paid professional musicians performing classical and themed concert programs. Shares artistic leadership, repertoire selection patterns, and audience-development approaches with Federal Way Symphony.
• Cascade Symphony Orchestra: A community-based regional orchestra in Washington State presenting a multi-concert season of classical and pops programming. Operates a similar nonprofit, donation- and ticket-supported model and serves a comparable role in its local community as Federal Way Symphony does in the South Sound.
• Tacoma Symphony Orchestra: A long-established regional symphony serving the South Sound, presenting a multi-concert season of classical, pops, and family programming. Comparable in mission, scale, and Pacific Northwest regional positioning to Federal Way Symphony, and a direct competitor for South Sound audiences and donors.
• Kitsap Philharmonic: A Washington State regional orchestra presenting a seasonal concert series with community engagement and educational programming. Comparable in mission and operating model to Federal Way Symphony, with similar dependence on volunteer governance and donor support.

Emerging players

• Federal Way Youth Symphony: A youth music education organization based in Federal Way that partners with Federal Way Symphony to provide scholarships and emerging-artist solo opportunities. Operates in the same community and shares the local arts ecosystem, with partial overlap in audience and donor base.
• Centerstage Theatre: A Federal Way-area theater company that co-produced Federal Way Symphony's 'Celebrating Innovation: Sondheim/Stravinsky' concert. Comparable as a local performing arts nonprofit in the same community, sharing venue infrastructure and audience-development channels.

Broad incumbents

• Seattle Symphony: The major professional orchestra serving the broader Puget Sound region. While significantly larger and more prestigious, it is the dominant incumbent that Federal Way Symphony and its peers orbit around, competing for audience attention, donor dollars, and musicians in the same metro area.

Regional players

• Whatcom Symphony Orchestra: A regional symphony in Bellingham, Washington, presenting multi-concert seasons with professional musicians and community-outreach programs. Operates a similar nonprofit structure to Federal Way Symphony but serves a different Pacific Northwest sub-region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCAUyjUhfPghUedagCtdal1Q/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/federalwaysymphony
• Xx.com/fwsymphony
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/federal-way-symphony

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Federal Way Symphony