Oklahoma City Philharmonic

What Oklahoma City Philharmonic does

The Oklahoma City Philharmonic is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional symphony orchestra founded in 1988 and headquartered at 501 Couch Drive in Oklahoma City, with a management staff of 1-10 and a performing ensemble of contracted professional musicians. The organization operates three core concert series — the Classics Series (traditional symphonic repertoire), the Chickasaw Pops Series (popular, Broadway, and film scores), and the Discovery Family Series (children and family programming) — performed principally at the Civic Center Music Hall's Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre.

The organization's business model is a hybrid of earned revenue and philanthropic support. Earned revenue comes from ticket sales across multiple price tiers (student rush at $11, single tickets ranging from approximately $22 to $89 by section, season subscriptions with a 50% first-time discount, Create Your Own 4+ concert packages, group sales with tiered discounts for 12+ attendees, Overture Society memberships, and gift certificates). Fundraising is the larger revenue base and includes individual donations, corporate concert sponsorships structured in tiers from $5,000 (Section Sponsor) to $150,000 (Title Sponsor), foundation grants, and the annual Symphony Show House home tour fundraiser, supplemented by merchandise sales through the OKCPHIL online shop.

Complementing the concert program is an education and community engagement operation reaching 185,000+ people annually across 163 Oklahoma cities and 106 schools, including 28,000+ students served through school programs (Rhythm on the Road, Youth Concerts, Spotlight Schools), the Young Musician Competition, University masterclasses (with OCU, UCO, OU), and Society of Strings amateur ensembles. The orchestra collaborates strategically with Oklahoma City Ballet, Canterbury Voices, Ambassador's Concert Choir, Allied Arts, Chickasaw Nation, the Oklahoma Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts, and has issued albums including the Grammy-considered 2023 "Veils of Justice: The Journey of Clara Luper" tribute.

Name

Oklahoma City Philharmonic

Legal name

Oklahoma Philharmonic Society, Inc.

Website

https://okcphil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Oklahoma City Philharmonic is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional symphony orchestra in Oklahoma City operating Classics, Pops, and Discovery Family concert series and statewide education programs serving 28,000+ students across 163 cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts - Orchestral Music Services

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (711130), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC), Music Schools & Conservatory Prep (Pre-College) (EDAMANAE)

Keywords

• Orchestral performances
• Symphony concerts
• Music education programs
• Live classical music
• Arts nonprofit organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Oklahoma City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Concert Ticket Sales: Revenue from single tickets, season subscriptions, and group sales for Classics, Pops, and Discovery Family concerts at the Civic Center Music Hall
2. Donations and Fundraising: The majority of OKCPHIL's budget comes from fundraising efforts including individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of official merchandise including t-shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags, CDs, and other branded items through the OKCPHIL shop
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Concert sponsorships at various levels including Title Sponsor ($150,000), Conductor Sponsor ($30,000-$40,000), Concertmaster Sponsor ($18,000-$25,000), Principal Sponsor ($10,000-$12,500), and Section Sponsor ($5,000)
5. Concert Sponsorships: Partnership opportunities for businesses to sponsor individual concerts with recognition benefits including logo placement, tickets, and VIP lounge access
6. Symphony Show House: Annual fundraiser featuring decorated home tours that supports music education programs, with patron levels including Headlining ($50,000+), Gold, Benefactor, Bronze, and Friend tiers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Oklahoma City Philharmonic is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional symphony orchestra that presents live orchestral concert series (Classics, Chickasaw Pops, and Discovery Family), music education programs for students across 106 Oklahoma schools, and community engagement events at the Civic Center Music Hall in Oklahoma City. Its core offering is live performance services supported by season subscriptions, single tickets, group sales, donor contributions, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

The Oklahoma City Philharmonic operates as a professional symphony orchestra offering a multi-series concert portfolio centered around three core products: the Classics Series (traditional orchestral classical repertoire), the Chickasaw Pops Series (popular music, movie scores, and contemporary works), and the Discovery Family Series (children's concerts). Supporting these are education programs including School Programs (We've Got Rhythm, Youth Concerts, Spotlight School), University Programs (Guest Artist Masterclasses), Society of Strings (adult amateur ensembles), and the annual Young Musician Competition. The organization also produces special events including the Red, White & Boom free outdoor concert, Symphony Show House fundraiser, and various themed concert events. Ticket offerings include season subscriptions, create-your-own packages, group sales, gift certificates, and student rush tickets. Donor engagement is facilitated through Maestro Society and Encore Society recognition programs, while young professionals are served via the Overture Society membership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Overture Society: Young professionals membership program ages 21-40 offering concert tickets, networking, and volunteer opportunities
• Symphony Show House
• Society of Strings

Products and services

• Classics Series Traditional orchestral concert series featuring classical symphonic repertoire performed by the full symphony orchestra at the Civic Center Music Hall, with pre-concert discussions and 7:30PM concert times.
• Chickasaw Pops Series

Quantifiable outcome

• 185,000+ people reached annually through programming
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Allied ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAllied Arts is a key partner in supporting the arts in Oklahoma City. The OKC Philharmonic is listed as a member/partner organization.
• Chickasaw NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChickasaw Nation is a presenting sponsor of the Chickasaw Pops series and has collaborated on various cultural initiatives
• Oklahoma Arts CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState arts agency providing funding and support for OKCPHIL programs and performances
• National Endowment for the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal arts funding agency providing grant support for OKCPHIL programming
• Scissortail ParkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for outdoor concerts including Red, White & Boom and other community events at Scissortail Park
• OKCMOA (Oklahoma City Museum of Art)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for optional pre- or post-concert museum visits for youth concert attendees
• Oklahoma City BalletcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative performances between OKCPHIL and Oklahoma City Ballet for orchestral accompaniment
• Canterbury VoicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChoir collaboration for performances including the Clara Luper tribute album and other choral works
• Ambassador's Concert ChoircoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative choir participation in the Veils of Justice: Clara Luper album and performances
• Warner/Reprise NashvilleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecord label partner for the A Time of Healing memorial album released in 1995
• Naxos American ClassicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecord label for the Jonathan Leshnoff Elegy/Violin Concerto album released in 2023
• Wanda L. Bass School of Music (OCU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for masterclasses and educational programs with Oklahoma City University
• University of Central OklahomaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for masterclasses and educational programs at UCO
• University of OklahomaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for masterclasses and educational programs at OU

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tulsa Philharmonic: Oklahoma-based regional symphony orchestra with a comparable mix of Classics/Pops programming and music-education focus. Closest geographic and structural peer to OKCPHIL.
• Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra: Mid-sized Texas regional symphony with multiple concert series, education programs, and an active corporate sponsor structure. Similar audience development model and performing-arts nonprofit structure to OKCPHIL.
• Kansas City Symphony: Mid-American metropolitan symphony with similar Classics/Pops programming, school education initiatives, and corporate sponsor base. Comparable in scale, programming philosophy, and donor-supported nonprofit economics.
• Nashville Symphony: Regional symphony serving a comparable Sun Belt metro with Classics/Pops/Family series, recording labels (Naxos), and corporate partnerships. Operates its own concert hall (Schermerhorn) and has Grammy-nominated recordings analogous to OKCPHIL's Clara Luper album.
• Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra: Mid-sized Midwest metro symphony with multi-series programming (Classics/Pops/YPO), deep school partnerships, and a tuition-based youth orchestra (ISO YOI). Highly comparable operations and education mission.
• Louisville Orchestra: Mid-sized metro symphony with comparable programming series, recorded-album heritage (First Edition Records), and similar donation-driven funding model. Peer in size and programming mix.
• San Antonio Symphony: Sun Belt regional symphony serving a similarly-sized metro, with Classics/Pops/Family programming and education outreach to schools. Directly comparable scale and structure.
• Phoenix Symphony: Sun Belt regional symphony with analogous Classics/Pops/Family programming, donor base diversification, and education programs reaching tens of thousands of students. Comparable operational footprint.
• Colorado Symphony: Mid-sized regional symphony with multi-series programming, K-12 education initiatives, and Denver-metro corporate sponsors. Closely comparable in scale, programming, and education footprint.
• Oregon Symphony: Mid-sized Pacific/Mountain West regional symphony with Classics/Pops programming, robust school programs, and PenRecording label catalog. Comparable in scope and educational impact to OKCPHIL.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/okc_phil
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6aPJwrrNz5J5sMCh-ET6-Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/okcphilharmonic
• Instagraminstagram.com/okc_phil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oklahoma-city-philharmonic-foundation-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Oklahoma City Philharmonic