Jacksonville Symphony

What Jacksonville Symphony does

The Jacksonville Symphony Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 1949 and headquartered at 300 Water Street, Jacksonville, Florida. It operates as a regional symphony orchestra with a core ensemble of 60 contracted musicians performing approximately 95 concerts per season at Jacoby Symphony Hall, supplemented by 80+ ensemble performances throughout the community. The orchestra is led by Music Director Courtney Lewis (in his 11th season) and President & CEO Steven Libman (appointed 2020), supported by roughly 100 full-time and 120 part-time staff plus 115+ annual vendors.

The organization produces a diversified portfolio of concert series including the Florida Blue Classical Series, Terry Family Foundation Pops Series, Greta Challen Berg Artist Series, JP Morgan Chase Jazz Series, Fleet Landing Coffee Series, Symphonic Night at the Movies, Composer Sessions, and Concert Organ Series. Its signature production is the First Coast Nutcracker, a 50+ year annual tradition combining live orchestral performance with ballet. Education and community engagement programs include Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras (200+ young musicians across six ensemble levels), Field Trip Programs for K-12 schools, Community Side-by-Side, Symphony Chorus, and free Community Concerts, collectively reaching 128,000+ students and community members annually.

The Symphony runs on an annual operating budget of $14M and is supported by a $31M endowment. Revenue is split approximately 30% from ticket sales (subscriptions, single tickets, group sales) and 70% from donations, memberships (Friends of the Symphony), planned giving (Cadenza Society), and corporate sponsorships (Florida Blue, VyStar, JP Morgan Chase, Terry Family Foundation, CSX, Black Knight, Mayo Clinic, Fleet Landing, and others). The organization reaches over 180,000 people per season through performances and community programs, and has earned national recognition including an NPR Performance Today broadcast and Kennedy Center SHIFT festival invitation.

Name

Jacksonville Symphony

Legal name

Jacksonville Symphony Association

Website

https://jaxsymphony.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Jacksonville Symphony is a 75-year-old nonprofit regional orchestra in Jacksonville, Florida, presenting 95+ live performances annually across multiple concert series and serving 180,000+ people through concerts and music education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Services

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Classical Ballet (Full-Length & Repertoire) (MPAGADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Symphony orchestra performances
• Music education programs
• Live classical concerts
• Youth orchestra training
• Community engagement arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Jacksonville

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, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: 30% of annual budget comes from ticket sales. The symphony offers single tickets, subscriptions, and group sales for various concert series including Florida Blue Classical Series, Terry Family Foundation Pops Series, Greta Challen Berg Artist Series, Specials, Symphonic Night at the Movies, JP Morgan Chase Jazz Series, Fleet Landing Coffee Series, Composer Sessions, and Concert Organ Series.
2. Donations and Membership: 70% of annual budget comes from generous patrons through donations, membership programs (Friends of the Symphony), institutional partners, business partners, and planned giving (Cadenza Society).
3. Education and Community Programs: Revenue from education programs including First Coast Nutcracker performances, youth concerts, field trips, and ensemble visits to schools. Also includes community engagement activities that reach over 128,000 students and community members annually.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships from entities like Florida Blue, Terry Family Foundation, VyStar, JP Morgan Chase, Fleet Landing, and others that support specific concert series and programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Jacksonville Symphony is a nonprofit performing arts organization that produces live orchestral concerts across multiple series (classical, pops, jazz, film scores, organ, coffee) at Jacoby Symphony Hall and produces the annual First Coast Nutcracker ballet. It also delivers music education and community engagement programs, including the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras, field trips and school programs, Community Side-by-Side, and Symphony Chorus.

Product overview

The Jacksonville Symphony is a performing arts organization offering a diverse portfolio of concert series and educational programs. Its core product is live orchestral performances across multiple concert series: the Florida Blue Classical Series featuring symphonic masterworks, the Terry Family Foundation Pops Series for popular music tributes, the Greta Challen Berg Artist Series with guest artists, the JP Morgan Chase Jazz Series, the Fleet Landing Coffee Series for intimate morning performances, Composer Sessions, the Concert Organ Series, and the Symphonic Night at the Movies Series for film scores. The organization also produces the First Coast Nutcracker, an annual full-length ballet tradition spanning over 50 years. Complementing these performances are robust education and community programs including the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras (serving 200+ musicians across multiple ensemble levels), Field Trip Programs for K-12 classrooms, Community Side-By-Side programs, Symphony Chorus, Ensemble in Schools visits, and free Community Concerts. The Symphony reaches over 165,000 individuals annually through 95+ performances.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Florida Blue Classical Series

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 165,000 individuals reached annually through 95+ performances
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CSXminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 November 2023Partnership providing free tickets to active military and veterans for Jacksonville Symphony performances
• Black KnightminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 March 2021Partnership providing free tickets to active military and veterans for Jacksonville Symphony performances
• Florida BluecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThree-year sponsorship renewal of Masterworks and Music Education programs; Florida Blue Classical Series naming rights
• VyStar Credit UnioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of First Coast Nutcracker ballet production, providing significant support for this holiday tradition
• Terry Family FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of Pops Series (Terry Family Foundation Pops Series)
• JP Morgan ChasecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of Jazz Series (JP Morgan Chase Jazz Series)
• Fleet LandingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of Coffee Series (Fleet Landing Coffee Series)
• Greta Challen BergcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of Greta Challen Berg Artist Series
• Mayo ClinicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Family Concert Series, supporting accessible music experiences for families
• Duval County Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with local public schools for music education and ensemble visits programs
• Jacksonville Center for the Performing ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partnership for Jacoby Symphony Hall and Moran Theater performances, managing lease and scheduling
• Florida BalletminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for spring family concerts, combining ballet and symphonic performances

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Atlanta Symphony Orchestra: A major Southeast US symphony orchestra of comparable scale and programming breadth, offering classical, pops, and family concerts. Atlanta and Jacksonville share regional donor pools and similar competitive dynamics for corporate underwriting, making Atlanta the closest direct peer.
• Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra: A Florida-based regional symphony serving a similar tourist- and family-driven market. Comparable in size and repertoire mix, and competes with Jacksonville for statewide corporate sponsorships and touring soloists.
• Nashville Symphony: A mid-sized Southeast orchestra with comparable budget scale and a similar mix of classical, pops, film, and education programming. Often cited as a peer benchmark for artistic ambition within the regional orchestra tier.
• Charlotte Symphony Orchestra: A Southeast regional symphony comparable in size, budget, and programming approach. Operates a similar season structure with classical, pops, and family programming, and shares audience demographics in a Sun Belt metro.
• Sarasota Orchestra: A Florida-based regional orchestra with a strong classical focus, similar community engagement programs, and overlapping corporate sponsorship pool. Directly comparable in programming philosophy and audience engagement approach.
• Florida Orchestra: The Tampa Bay-based state symphony offering similar classical, pops, and education programming. Competes for the same statewide corporate sponsors and has an overlapping donor base in West Central Florida.
• Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra: A mid-sized regional symphony with a comparable mix of classical, pops, and education programming. Frequently cited as a peer benchmark for mid-tier American orchestras balancing earned and contributed revenue.

Broad incumbents

• Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra: A larger historic orchestra with broader national reach and recorded output. Comparable artistically as a reference point for programming ambition, though meaningfully larger in budget, endowment, and audience reach.
• Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra: A larger, established Midwestern orchestra with comparable season structure (classical, pops, family, education) and a substantial endowment. Comparable in artistic ambitions and education programming scale.

Regional players

• Naples Philharmonic: A Florida-based performing arts organization combining orchestral concerts with broader cultural programming. Operates in a different Florida geography but competes for the same regional donor and corporate sponsor pools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/jaxsymphony
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/jaxsymphony
• Facebookfacebook.com/jaxsymphony
• Instagraminstagram.com/jaxsymphony
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jacksonville-symphony

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Jacksonville Symphony