Korean Music Association

What Korean Music Association does

The Korean Music Association (KMA) is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1980 and headquartered in Bellevue, Washington (greater Seattle area). Its mission is to entertain, empower, and nurture the Korean American community in the Pacific Northwest by creating opportunities for cultural connection through the fine arts. The organization's core products are an Annual Concert Series (44 consecutive years as of 2024, performed at venues including Benaroya Hall's Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall and Meany Hall at UW), the Evergreen Choir (active since 1980 and dedicated to preserving Korean classical music such as Gagok and Pansori), and the KMA Youth Music Scholarship Competition (25 editions as of 2026, expanded to all 50 U.S. states). KMA partners with the Seattle Symphony (Celebrate Asia program), the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Seattle, and institutional funders including 4Culture, ArtsWA, ArtsFund, Boeing, and Google. The organization is governed by a volunteer board and operates with 1-10 staff.

KMA generates revenue primarily through individual donations (PayPal, Zelle, mailed checks), small sponsorships and grants, and youth competition registration fees (not publicly disclosed). Concerts are offered free of charge, including the pandemic-era 41st Annual Concert that drew approximately 150 invited attendees in an 800-seat hall, with live-streaming introduced in 2021 to extend reach. The go-to-market model is event-driven: in-person concerts, biannual choir performances, youth competitions, and community gatherings promoted through the organization's website, Facebook, YouTube concert recordings, and earned media in the Seattle Korea Times. There is no proprietary technology platform; KMA uses standard web and social channels plus a JotForm-based competition application. Customer concentration is diffuse, serving the general Korean American community in Washington State rather than discrete accounts.

Name

Korean Music Association

Legal name

Korean Music Association

Website

https://kmawa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Korean Music Association (KMA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1980 in the greater Seattle area that serves the Korean American community through annual classical music concerts, the Evergreen Choir, and a youth music scholarship competition, supported by donations and institutional grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Arts & Community Music Services

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Korean classical music
• Youth music competitions
• Community cultural events
• Scholarship music programs
• Nonprofit arts organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, KMA relies primarily on donations from the community. Donations are accepted via PayPal, Zelle ([email protected]), and checks mailed to P.O. Box 52873, Bellevue, WA 98015. Tax ID: 37-1550649.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Korean Music Association (KMA) is a nonprofit cultural organization that produces an Annual Concert Series combining Korean and Western classical music, runs the annual KMA Youth Music Scholarship Competition for young musicians, and operates the Evergreen Choir dedicated to preserving Korean classical music traditions. All programs serve the Korean American community in the greater Seattle area and are supported primarily through donations and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

The Korean Music Association (KMA) is a nonprofit music organization offering a portfolio of cultural programs centered around three core offerings: the Annual Concert Series featuring classical music performances combining Korean and Western traditions; the KMA Youth Music Scholarship Competition providing young musicians with competitive platforms and financial support; and the Evergreen Choir preserving Korean classical music through biannual concerts. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, supplementing its programs with a donation-based support system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Concert Series Annual classical music concerts featuring Korean and Western classical music, including opera excerpts, choral pieces, and instrumental compositions, performed by internationally acclaimed musicians and local artists. Held at venues such as Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall, Meany Hall, and Federal Way Performing Art Center. Primarily offered free of charge to the Korean American community.
• KMA Youth Music Scholarship Competition Annual youth music competition for young musicians offering scholarships and performance opportunities across piano, strings, woodwinds, and voice divisions, with a Winners' Concert held on the same day. Expanded to nationwide participation.
• Evergreen Choir Biannual choir performances dedicated to preserving Korean classical music and empowering the Korean immigrant community through traditional and contemporary choral works.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 44 years of annual concerts serving the Korean American community
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• 4CulturesupportingOthers · 1 January 20244Culture (King County's cultural funding agency) provides support for KMA as one of its sponsors, contributing to the organization's operational funding.
• ArtsWAsupportingOthers · 1 January 2024ArtsWA (Washington State Arts Commission) supports KMA as a sponsor, providing funding for arts programming.
• ArtsFundsupportingOthers · 1 January 2024ArtsFund provides financial support to KMA as part of its mission to strengthen arts organizations in the Pacific Northwest.
• BoeingsupportingOthers · 1 January 2024Boeing is listed as a sponsor supporting KMA's cultural programming and community events.
• GooglesupportingOthers · 1 January 2024Google is listed as a corporate sponsor supporting KMA's operations.
• Seoul National University Alumni Association of WashingtonsupportingOthers · 1 January 2024The Seoul National University Alumni Association of Washington State (미국 워싱턴주 지부 서울대 동창회) supports KMA as a sponsor.
• Seattle SymphonycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKMA collaborates with the Seattle Symphony on the 'Celebrate Asia' program, performing at Benaroya Hall. This partnership represents a significant collaboration between KMA and a major American symphony orchestra to promote Asian cultural heritage through music.
• Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in SeattlecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKMA participates in Korean Consulate events including Korean War Armistice memorial ceremonies and collaborates on various cultural programs. The Consulate provides support for KMA's annual concerts.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Korean Cultural Society of San Antonio: Small Korean American cultural nonprofit serving a Korean diaspora community outside the Pacific Northwest. Directly comparable as a community-based Korean cultural organization with similar scale, mission, and volunteer-driven operating model.
• Korean Heritage Foundation: Nonprofit dedicated to preserving and promoting Korean cultural heritage in the United States. Directly comparable to KMA's cultural preservation mission and youth education programming through scholarship and performance initiatives.
• Asia Pacific Cultural Center: Tacoma-based Asian and Pacific Islander cultural nonprofit operating in the same Pacific Northwest geography as KMA. Comparable as a community-rooted cultural organization serving Asian American communities through programming and events.

Others

• National Association of Korean Americans: National umbrella organization serving the Korean American community. Adjacent to KMA as an ecosystem participant coordinating broader Korean American civic engagement, but with a policy and advocacy focus rather than direct arts programming.

Broad incumbents

• Seattle Symphony: Major professional symphony orchestra based in Seattle and a direct partner of KMA through the Celebrate Asia program. Comparable as a performing arts organization in the same metropolitan area, though at vastly greater scale and with a full-time professional musician roster.
• Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles: Larger Korean cultural center with similar mission of preserving and promoting Korean arts and culture. Comparable to KMA as a Korean American cultural institution, though operating at significantly greater scale with broader programming.

Emerging players

• Korean American Coalition: National Korean American advocacy and community organization. Comparable to KMA in serving the Korean American community through programming, but operates with a broader civic-advocacy mandate and national footprint rather than music-specific focus.

Regional players

• Music of Remembrance: Seattle-based performing arts nonprofit producing classical music programs with a cultural-heritage mission. Comparable to KMA as a Pacific Northwest music nonprofit, though focused on Holocaust remembrance rather than Korean heritage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLjHT7toZftjsylm6VnIXI0TpwKiShtWz3
• Facebookfacebook.com/kmawa.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/korean-music-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Korean Music Association