Name

Memphis Symphony Orchestra

Legal name

Memphis Symphony Orchestra

Website

https://memphissymphony.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts (Symphony Orchestra)

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (711130), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Music (Instruments, Voice, Music Theory) (EDAAAGAC), Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA), Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC)

Keywords

• Orchestral concerts
• Music education programs
• Symphonic performances
• Performing arts
• Community engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Concert Ticket Sales: Revenue from single tickets, season subscriptions, and special event tickets for Masterworks, Classic Accents, Pops, and holiday concerts at venues including Cannon Center and Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Concert and series sponsorships starting at $2,500 for individual concerts, with title and presenting sponsorships from $30,000. Includes VIP benefits, marketing exposure, and backstage access for corporate partners.
3. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible contributions from individual donors supporting live orchestra music and music education programs. Includes Donor Circle program with Golden ($1,000+), Ambassador ($5,000+), Maestro's ($10,000+), and Stradivarius ($25,000+) tiers.
4. Education Program Fees: Free programs including Tunes & Tales at libraries and schools, but education and community programs supported by corporate sponsorships and donations. Last year corporate sponsorships enabled 15,000+ students and families to experience live music.
5. Specialty License Plates: Tennessee Arts specialty license plates for $35/year supporting the arts in Tennessee, with MSO as a beneficiary organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Memphis Symphony Orchestra is a nonprofit performing arts organization that produces and presents live orchestral concerts, music education programs, and community engagement initiatives for audiences in the Memphis region and surrounding Mid-South communities. The orchestra delivers classical and pops symphonic performances in concert venues while operating youth and community education programming supported by donations, sponsorships, and grants.

Product overview

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is a nonprofit performing arts organization offering a portfolio of live orchestral concerts and educational programs. Its core offerings include the Masterworks Series, Classic Accents Series, and Pops Concerts featuring classical symphonic repertoire at venues including the Cannon Center and Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center. The MSO complements these with special events such as Magic of Memphis, Handel's Messiah, The Orchestra Unplugged, and the free Sunset Symphony at Overton Park Shell. Education programs include School Tunes & Tales, Orff Side by Side, Young People's Concerts, Coaching and Mentoring, the Artist in Residency Program, and the Memphis Composers Institute. Community engagement is supported through the Circle of Friends, Musician Fellowship Program, and The Eddy Award. The organization also offers membership options including Young Symphony Patrons and the Memphis Symphony League, plus corporate sponsorship and the Leading From Every Chair workshop program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Orchestral Concerts Live symphonic performances presented in concert venues for individual ticket buyers, subscribers, families, and cultural audiences in the Memphis metropolitan area and Mid-South region. Programming typically includes classical masterworks, pops concerts, and special-event performances.
• Music Education Programs Music education initiatives serving students, youth, and community learners in the Memphis region, delivered through in-school, after-school, and community-site programming. Designed to increase music literacy and access to orchestral music education.
• Community Engagement Programs Community-facing outreach activities that extend the orchestra's presence beyond the concert hall to broader Memphis-area audiences, supporting cultural access and regional arts engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15,000+ students and families reached annually through education programs funded by corporate sponsorships
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Opera MemphiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaboration on Verdi's Rigoletto in Concert and Verdi Requiem performances. MSO serves as orchestra for Opera Memphis productions and jointly presents opera-in-concert experiences.
• The Walden SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaboration on Memphis Composers Institute, a partnership between MSO, The Walden School, and University of Memphis Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music for emerging composers.
• Northside Square (Former Northside High School)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Invited to join Northside Square redevelopment transforming former Northside High School into community hub. MSO will move administrative offices there by Summer 2026, enabling deeper collaboration with schools, libraries, and neighborhood partners.
• Chris Brubeck (Composer)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Seeking co-commissioners for Concerto for Blues and Classical Guitars. Named Sponsor $5,000 for commissioning consortium right to perform in 2023-24 or 2024-25 seasons.
• University of MemphiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Groundbreaking MSO in-residence partnership established with University of Memphis, creating a national model for regional orchestras and university partners. MSO maintains offices at Newport Hall on campus.
• Ballet MemphiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSO serves as the orchestra for Ballet Memphis performances, the largest performing arts institution in the Memphis region.
• WKNO FM 91.1minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPublic media partner featuring MSO interviews on Checking on the Arts program and Orchestra Unplugged performances broadcast on Memphis public radio.
• Germantown Performing Arts Center (GPAC)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partner for MSO Big Band at the Grove performances. Partnership brings orchestral performances to Germantown audiences.
• Orpheum Theatre GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Orchestra Unplugged series - music education and performance series at Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education.
• Shell on WheelsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Behind the Bars performance at Shelby County Division of Corrections for reflection and rehabilitation through music.
• Shelby County Government and Mayor's OfficeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment partnership for Behind the Bars correctional facility performances bringing music for reflection and rehabilitation.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nashville Symphony: Regional symphony orchestra serving Tennessee with a comparable subscription, education, and corporate-sponsorship model. Highly comparable in geographic proximity and audience-development approach, though Nashville operates a larger venue (Schermerhorn Symphony Center) and has a bigger endowment.
• Kansas City Symphony: Mid-sized American symphony with a similar subscription-based DTC model, education programming, and corporate-sponsorship tiers. Useful comparison for budget scale, endowment trajectory, and youth-education programs at the same tier as MSO.
• Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra: Regional symphony with a similar metropolitan-scope DTC model, education-outreach focus, and donor-driven nonprofit structure. A close size-tier peer for benchmarking per-concert economics and community-engagement programming.

Others

• Ballet Memphis: Largest performing-arts institution in the Memphis region and long-standing MSO partner for which MSO serves as resident orchestra. Comparable in regional nonprofit governance, donor-base overlap, and shared venue economics.
• Opera Memphis: MSO's primary opera-production partner; MSO serves as Opera Memphis's resident orchestra for productions like Rigoletto in Concert. Comparable as a Memphis-based performing-arts nonprofit with overlapping donor and audience bases.

Broad incumbents

• St. Louis Symphony Orchestra: One of the older and larger regional orchestras in the central U.S., with extensive education and community programs. Comparable in programming breadth and educational reach, though at a meaningfully larger operating scale.
• Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra: Established regional orchestra with comparable subscription, pops, and family-concert programming. Useful incumbent benchmark for artistic direction, venue economics, and corporate-sponsorship product design at a larger scale.
• Atlanta Symphony Orchestra: Larger, more established regional orchestra with a comparable Masterworks/Pops programming structure and education programs. A relevant incumbent peer for benchmarking artistic ambition, fundraising scale, and corporate-sponsorship tiering in the Southeast.
• Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra: Mid-to-large regional orchestra with a comparable education, pops, and Masterworks lineup. Relevant for benchmarking corporate-sponsorship packaging, youth-education reach, and DEI fellowship programming.

Regional players

• Orpheum Theatre Group: Memphis-based performing-arts presenter and venue partner that co-produces MSO's 'Orchestra Unplugged' education series. Comparable as a Memphis cultural institution but operates a venue-and-presenter model rather than a resident orchestra.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Memphis Symphony Orchestra