Jazz
Jazz at Lincoln Center is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating the world's premier jazz performance and education organization from Frederick P. Rose Hall, serving 3M+ people annually through live concerts, the 15-member JLCO, Blue Engine Records, an education pipeline, and an international venue in Shanghai.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Jazz does
Jazz at Lincoln Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1987 and headquartered in New York City, operating as the world's premier jazz performance and education institution. It runs Frederick P. Rose Hall (The House of Swing), a 100,000-square-foot, purpose-built facility containing three venues — Rose Theater, The Appel Room, and Dizzy's Club — and is a constituent of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts under the artistic leadership of Wynton Marsalis. The organization reaches more than 3 million people annually through concerts, tours, education programs, recordings, and live/VOD performances, and the 2026-27 season alone features over 90 performances.
The core platform is the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO), a 15-member permanent ensemble that has produced more than 1,200 original compositions and arrangements since 2008. Surrounding the orchestra is a vertically integrated product set: the Blue Engine Records label (launched 2015), which releases albums such as Live in Cuba, Big Band Holidays, and The Wonderful Word of Louis Armstrong; an education ecosystem spanning WeBop (ages 8 months–7 years), Middle/High School Jazz Academy, Summer Jazz Academy at Bard College, Band Director Academy, Essentially Ellington, the National Collegiate Jazz Championship, Swing University, and an Alumni Network; and an international presence including Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai and global touring across the U.S. and Europe.
Revenue is generated through a diversified, consumer-facing model: ticket sales (single, subscription, group), memberships starting at $100/year, donations and gala events, corporate sponsorships (Bloomberg Philanthropies, United Airlines, Hive Colony), venue rentals, education program fees, and recorded-music sales and streaming. Pricing is tiered from $10 Hot Seats and student tickets to subscription packages offering 10-15% savings, with group discounts of 25-60% for 12+ purchasers, supporting broad audience access alongside premium offerings. The go-to-market is event-driven and direct, leveraging the jazz.org website, email, social media, YouTube, and earned media as primary channels.
Jazz firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Jazz
- Legal name
- Jazz at Lincoln Center
- Website
- https://jazz.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Jazz at Lincoln Center is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating the world's premier jazz performance and education organization from Frederick P. Rose Hall, serving 3M+ people annually through live concerts, the 15-member JLCO, Blue Engine Records, an education pipeline, and an international venue in Shanghai.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Jazz industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts & Music Education
- NAICS
- Performing Arts Companies (7111), Musical Groups and Artists (711130), Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Fine Arts Schools (611610)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Live Music Clubs & Venues (MPAGAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Music Instruction (Instrumental & Vocal) (EDAMAAAE), Online / Virtual Music Instruction & Platforms (EDAMANAI), Music (Instruments, Voice, Music Theory) (EDAAAGAC)
Keywords
Where Jazz is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Jazz business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from concert tickets sold for performances at Rose Theater, Dizzy's Club, and The Appel Room. Single tickets, subscriptions, and group sales provide primary earned revenue.
- Membership and Donations: Annual membership programs starting at $100 with benefits including discounted tickets and exclusive access. Donation campaigns and gala events for supporter engagement.
- Record Label Sales: Blue Engine Records releases albums available for purchase and streaming, generating revenue from recordings by the JLCO and associated artists.
- Education Programs: Revenue from educational programs including Summer Jazz Academy at Bard College, which provides instrumental jazz instruction for high school students.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Hot Seats - $10 tickets for select performances |
| Subscription | Annual | Membership starting at $100/year |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Group sales with 25-60% savings |
| Subscription | Annual | Subscription packages with 10-15% savings |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Jazz product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Jazz at Lincoln Center is a nonprofit jazz performance and education organization that presents live concerts at Frederick P. Rose Hall (Rose Theater, The Appel Room, and Dizzy's Club) and tours globally with the 15-member Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) led by Wynton Marsalis. It also operates Blue Engine Records (its own record label launched in 2015) and runs an education ecosystem spanning early-childhood programs through professional development, including WeBop, Middle/High School Jazz Academies, Summer Jazz Academy, Swing University, Essentially Ellington, the National Collegiate Jazz Championship, and Band Director Academy.
Product overview
Jazz at Lincoln Center is a cultural organization operating as a platform-plus-venues model, centered around its world-class Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) with Wynton Marsalis as Music Director. The organization manages three performance venues within Frederick P. Rose Hall (The House of Swing): Rose Theater, The Appel Room, and Dizzy's Club. It operates Blue Engine Records for music releases, offers education programs spanning early childhood (WeBop) through professional development (Band Director Academy), and provides concert subscription packages. The portfolio includes major programs like Essentially Ellington, the National Collegiate Jazz Championship, and Summer Jazz Academy. Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai extends the brand internationally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Blue Engine Records: The record label of Jazz at Lincoln Center, releasing albums by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and affiliated artists.
- Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO)
- Dizzy's Club
- House of Swing
- Essentially Ellington
- Jazz for Young People
Products and services
- Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) with Wynton Marsalis The world's premier big band consisting of 15 permanent members performing live in New York City and on global tours, with a vast repertoire spanning historic jazz compositions to more than 1,200 original works and arrangements.
- Dizzy's Club
- Blue Engine Records
- WeBop
- Middle School Jazz Academy
- High School Jazz Academy
- Summer Jazz Academy
- Swing University
- Essentially Ellington
- National Collegiate Jazz Championship
- Band Director Academy
- Concert Subscriptions
- Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai
- Membership Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Reaches more than 3 million people annually through concerts, tours, education programs, recordings, and digital performances
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Jazz
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Jazz technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Jazz partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Bard CollegecoreBard College hosts the Summer Jazz Academy, a 2-week residential high school summer institute for advanced study in jazz performance. This partnership provides residential education for the organization's flagship summer program.
- Essentially Ellington Participating SchoolscorePartnership with high school jazz bands across North America. The annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival brings musicians to the venue for workshops, jam sessions, rehearsals, and performances.
- Lincoln CentercoreJazz at Lincoln Center is the first new constituent of Lincoln Center since 1987. The organization operates within the Lincoln Center campus and partners on various programming including Summer in the City events.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Jazz competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Carnegie Hall: Premier New York City performing arts presenter operating a world-class concert venue with comparable ticketing, subscription, education, and donor-funded operating model — JALC's most direct NYC institutional peer.
- SFJAZZ: San Francisco-based nonprofit jazz presenter that operates its own venue (SFJAZZ Center), runs a resident orchestra, presents concerts year-round, and runs education programs — directly comparable in mission and operating model to JALC.
- Monterey Jazz Festival: Long-running jazz festival with a strong education component (Monterey Jazz Festival Clinics) that combines live performance, jazz education, and artist development — closely mirrors JALC's festival and educational programming.
- Newport Jazz Festival: Historic U.S. jazz festival produced by Festival Productions with an artist residency and education mission. Comparable as a jazz-specific performance and education platform targeting similar enthusiast and student audiences.
- Blue Note Jazz Club: Iconic jazz venue presenting nightly live jazz performances with associated record label and global venue locations. Comparable as a jazz-specific presenting organization with multiple venues and recorded music, though structured as for-profit hospitality.
- Village Vanguard: Legendary New York City jazz club presenting nightly live jazz. Comparable as a venue-operator peer targeting the same NYC jazz enthusiast audience, though much smaller in scale and without an education or orchestral component.
Broad incumbents
- The Kennedy Center: National performing arts center presenting a broad multi-genre portfolio (jazz, classical, theater, dance) with substantial education programming. Comparable in scale, donor-funded model, and education emphasis, but much broader in scope than JALC's jazz specialization.
- New York Philharmonic: Fellow Lincoln Center constituent operating a resident orchestra, subscription ticketing, and extensive education programs in NYC. Comparable in venue-based subscription and donor-funded model, but classical-focused rather than jazz-focused.
Emerging players
- Smithsonian Jazz Program: National jazz education and exhibition program housed within the Smithsonian Institution. Comparable in jazz education mission and national reach but operates within a broader institutional umbrella rather than as a standalone performance organization.
Others
- Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai (internal unit): Listed as a comparable for reference only — this is JALC's own Shanghai venue rather than an external peer, included to highlight the international venue model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Jazz social profiles
Digital presenceJazz financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Jazz leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Jazz subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Jazz funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Jazz M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Jazz
What does Jazz do?
Jazz at Lincoln Center is a nonprofit jazz performance and education organization that presents live concerts at Frederick P. Rose Hall (Rose Theater, The Appel Room, and Dizzy's Club) and tours globally with the 15-member Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) led by Wynton Marsalis. It also operates Blue Engine Records (its own record label launched in 2015) and runs an education ecosystem spanning early-childhood programs through professional development, including WeBop, Middle/High School Jazz Academies, Summer Jazz Academy, Swing University, Essentially Ellington, the National Collegiate Jazz Championship, and Band Director Academy.
Is Jazz a public or private company?
Jazz is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Jazz founded?
Jazz was founded in 1987. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Jazz based?
Jazz is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Jazz make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are membership and Donations, record Label Sales and education Programs.
Who are Jazz's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Carnegie Hall, SFJAZZ, Monterey Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, Blue Note Jazz Club and Village Vanguard. Broad incumbents are The Kennedy Center and New York Philharmonic. Smithsonian Jazz Program is listed as an emerging player. Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai (internal unit) is listed as an others.
Does Jazz have an API?
No public API is recorded for Jazz.
What industry is Jazz in?
Jazz's product category is Performing Arts & Music Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAIAB, Live Music Clubs & Venues, with a secondary code of EDAMAAAE, Music Instruction (Instrumental & Vocal). Its NAICS code is 7111 and its SIC code is 7900.