Oregon Symphony

What Oregon Symphony does

The Oregon Symphony is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional orchestra founded in 1896 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon. It is the oldest orchestra in the Western United States and the sixth oldest in the country, with a contract ensemble of 76 core musicians (headcount 101–250 including administrative and production staff) led by Music Director David Danzmayr (contracted through 2028/29) and Associate Conductor Su-Han Yang. The organization serves more than 235,000 people annually through 100+ live concerts and an extensive portfolio of education and community engagement programs.

Its core product is live orchestral performance spanning classical masterworks, contemporary commissions, pops programs, and film concerts with live accompaniment. Supporting product lines include the Sounds Like Portland and Bang It! festivals, condensed Symphony-in-60 performances, the Naked Classics educational series, and Films in Concert events. Distribution is anchored by the historic 2,776-seat Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, with additional performances at Rose Auditorium (Salem, beginning 2026/27), Patricia Reser Center (Beaverton), Newmark Theatre, Smith Auditorium (Willamette University), PRAx at Oregon State University, and Revolution Hall.

The revenue model combines earned income (subscriptions including the flexible Choose Your Own 3+ package, individual tickets at varied price points, $10 student tickets, and group bookings for 10+) with contributed income (donor memberships beginning at $75 annually, the annual Gala which raised $1.79M in 2025, legacy giving, and corporate sponsorships). Digital infrastructure is operated through third-party vendors: True Tickets for ticketing, with Apple Wallet and Google Wallet delivery, and standard marketing analytics. The organization holds multi-Grammy nominations and in 2026 was recognized with the Pulitzer Prize for Music for Gabriela Lena Frank's commissioned work Picaflor: A future myth.

Name

Oregon Symphony

Legal name

Oregon Symphony Association

Website

https://orsymphony.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Oregon Symphony is a nonprofit professional orchestra founded in 1896, based in Portland, Oregon. It serves more than 235,000 people annually through 100+ live classical and contemporary concerts, festivals, and education programs across eight Pacific Northwest venues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Symphony Orchestra / Performing Arts

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Musical Groups and Artists (711130), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Concert Venue Operators (Arenas, Amphitheaters, Clubs) (MPAGAAAC), Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA)

Keywords

• Live orchestral performances
• Classical music concerts
• Music education programs
• Season ticket subscriptions
• Community engagement programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Concert Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from individual concert tickets and season subscriptions across multiple performance series including Classical, Pops, Special Concerts, and Film concerts. Subscriptions offer flexible Choose Your Own packages starting at 3 concerts with exclusive discounts and perks.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable contributions from donors at various membership levels (beginning at $75 annually), including the annual Gala which raised $1.79 million in 2025, legacy giving programs, and general donations.
3. Group Tickets: Special pricing and service for groups of 10 or more attendees attending concerts together.
4. Education and Community Programs: Revenue from community engagement initiatives including school programs, family concerts, and partnerships with organizations for special programming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

The Oregon Symphony is a 76-member professional orchestra founded in 1896, performing classical, contemporary, and popular music across multiple Pacific Northwest venues including the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland and partner venues in Salem, Beaverton, and Corvallis. It sells season subscriptions, flexible Choose Your Own packages (3+ concerts), individual concert tickets, group bookings, and gift cards, while operating education and community outreach programs. The organization is supported by charitable donations, corporate sponsorships, and an annual gala, and serves over 235,000 people annually through more than 100 live concerts.

Product overview

The Oregon Symphony is a multi-Grammy Award-nominated orchestra offering a diverse portfolio of live orchestral performances and community engagement programs. The core product consists of classical and contemporary concerts held at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall and regional venues. The Symphony provides multiple attendance options including full-season subscriptions, the flexible Choose Your Own subscription (3+ concerts), and individual tickets. Supporting products include the Sounds Like Portland and Bang It! festivals celebrating local Portland culture, the Symphony-in-60 condensed format, Naked Classics educational series, and Films in Concert performances. The organization operates digital ticketing through True Tickets with Apple Wallet and Google Wallet integration. Community outreach includes family programs, school programs, and the Lullaby Project serving homeless and incarcerated families. The Symphony serves over 235,000 people annually through more than 100 concerts and education programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Oregon Symphony Concerts Live orchestral performances of classical masterworks, contemporary compositions, pops programs, and film scores synchronized to movie screenings, performed for general audiences at multiple Pacific Northwest venues.
• Season Subscriptions

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves over 250,000 people annually through live concerts and education programs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• South Salem High School (Rose Auditorium)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 December 2025Beginning 2026/27 season, all core Oregon Symphony in Salem performances will take place in the newly rebuilt Rose Auditorium at South Salem High School. The venue is fully ADA compliant with ramp access, elevators, accessible restrooms, and wheelchair seating.
• Path Home and Family Preservation ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 February 2025Partnership for the Lullaby Project, where Oregon musicians collaborate with homeless and incarcerated families to create personal lullabies for their children.
• All Classical Radio / ICANcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2025Multi-year partnership spanning decades of collaborations. All Classical Radio reaches nearly 250,000 local households in Oregon and SW Washington and over a million listeners online globally. ICAN is a 24-hour children's arts and music radio station. Organizations are developing new programs connected to the Symphony's education and community initiatives.
• MazamascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 September 2024Partnership with Mazamas, a nonprofit mountaineering education organization, to explore the intersection of climbing, nature, and music. Includes panel discussions at Mazama Mountaineering Center featuring Music Director David Danzmayr and symphony musicians. Mazamas showcased stunning Mt. Hood climb images in concert hall lobby.
• BARKminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 September 2024BARK, an organization dedicated to defending and restoring Mt. Hood National Forest, was onsite at An Alpine Symphony performances with information for concert attendees interested in learning more about Mt. Hood preservation efforts.
• Oregon State University (PRAx)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformances at Lynne Hallstrom Detrick Concert Hall within the Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts (PRAx) at Oregon State University in Corvallis.
• Willamette University (Smith Auditorium)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformances at Smith Auditorium located on the Willamette University campus in Salem, Oregon.
• Patricia Reser Center for the ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformances at The Patricia Reser Center for the Arts in Beaverton, the first performing arts center of its kind built in the Portland-metro area in over 30 years.
• Portland'5 VenuescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Portland'5 Venues (parent organization of the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall and Newmark Theatre) for venue operations, security screening using Evolv system, and accessibility services.
• Fear No Music (Young Composers Project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Fear No Music's Young Composers Project for emerging composer development. Includes Emerging Composers Fellowship offering commission, world premiere, and mentorship from Music Director and symphony musicians.
• Chamber Music NorthwestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership featuring Chamber Music Northwest Artistic Directors Gloria Chien and Soovin Kim performing Beethoven's Triple Concerto. Artists featured in Sounds Like Portland programming.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra: Mid-Atlantic regional orchestra with comparable ensemble size, education/community programs, and a subscription-driven business model; useful as a peer benchmark for budget scale and operations.
• San Francisco Symphony: Major US symphony orchestra with Grammy-winning recordings, an active commissioning program, and a multi-venue regional strategy; operates a comparable subscription + gala + corporate-sponsorship business model.
• Cleveland Orchestra: Mid-sized American symphony with Grammy-winning recordings and a strong international touring reputation; operates on a similar mix of ticket sales, philanthropy, and educational programming.
• Seattle Symphony: Pacific Northwest regional symphony orchestra based in Seattle with comparable ensemble size, multi-format season programming, and a similar subscription + donation revenue mix. Direct geographic and product-category peer.
• Minnesota Orchestra: Mid-sized US symphony with a comparable artist-in-residence/commissioning model and subscription structure; relevant as the destination of Oregon Symphony's former CEO, signaling talent and operating-model parity.

Broad incumbents

• Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Top-tier US orchestra with extensive recording label partnerships, multi-Grammy recognition, and a Civic Orchestra training pipeline; serves as the benchmark peer at the larger end of the category.
• Los Angeles Philharmonic: Larger West Coast orchestra with a similar mix of classical and contemporary programming, deep education/community programs, and a multi-venue footprint including a flagship concert hall; broader in scale and resources.
• National Symphony Orchestra (Washington, DC): Kennedy Center-based orchestra with comparable classical-plus-pops programming, education programming, and federal/corporate funding exposure; serves as a peer for civic-institution operating dynamics.
• Boston Symphony Orchestra: Historic East Coast orchestra operating Symphony Hall and the Tanglewood festival; comparable subscription, education, and broadcast business model at significantly larger scale.
• Philadelphia Orchestra: Major US orchestra with a Grammy-winning catalog, extensive education programs, and a comparable subscription + donor-driven budget structure; larger in scale and brand reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Oregon_Symphony
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYAKPPEp8nNHt5CHrE9kBeA
• Facebookfacebook.com/OregonSymphony
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/42984
• Instagraminstagram.com/oregonsymphony
• TikToktiktok.com/@oregonsymphony

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Oregon Symphony