Alarm Will Sound
Alarm Will Sound is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) non-profit contemporary chamber orchestra that commissions, performs, and records new music, serving contemporary classical audiences, academic institutions, and arts funders through live performances, recordings, and educational festivals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Alarm Will Sound does
Alarm Will Sound is a 501(c)(3) non-profit contemporary chamber orchestra founded in 2001 (with origins in 1996 proto-concerts at the Eastman School of Music) and based in Brooklyn, New York. The 20-member artist-led ensemble specializes in performing, commissioning, and recording contemporary music, with a repertoire that spans multimedia concert theater ('1969'), docu-operas ('The Hunger'), and traditional operas ('What Belongs to You'). Beyond performance, the organization runs the Mizzou International Composers Festival as ensemble-in-residence (since 2010, with 120+ world premieres), administers the Matt Marks Impact Fund for emerging composers, and maintains a digital archive at experienceaws.com. Its core technical components include live orchestral performance, multimedia staging integrating archival video and photography, and digital recording production released through Nonesuch Records, Cantaloupe Music, Bandcamp, and streaming platforms. Notable recent validation includes the 2026 GRAMMY Award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance.
Revenue is generated through five streams: tax-deductible individual donations (via PayPal and mail), performance fees from concerts at venues and festivals, album sales and streaming royalties, foundation and government grants (Amphion, BMI, Cheswatyr, Copland, Ditson, HGF, Samuels, and Sinquefield Foundations; NEA Art Works; DCLA; NYSCA), and seed-fund disbursements administered through the Matt Marks Impact Fund. The go-to-market motion is event-driven (residencies, world premieres, collaborative composer relationships, educational workshops) layered with community-led direct audience engagement via live performances and digital channels (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, X, Spotify, email newsletter, website blog). Customer segments include contemporary classical music audiences, academic institutions and music festivals (notably the University of Missouri), and arts funders/foundations. Distribution runs through direct concert presentation, Nonesuch Records (wholesale), Bandcamp (DTC), and streaming platforms. No AI/ML capabilities are disclosed, and revenue is not publicly reported (EIN 20-1125609).
Alarm Will Sound firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Alarm Will Sound
- Legal name
- Alarm Will Sound, Inc.
- Website
- https://alarmwillsound.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Alarm Will Sound is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) non-profit contemporary chamber orchestra that commissions, performs, and records new music, serving contemporary classical audiences, academic institutions, and arts funders through live performances, recordings, and educational festivals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Alarm Will Sound industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts - Contemporary Classical Music
- NAICS
- Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Musical Groups and Artists (711130), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Sound Recording Studios (51224)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arranging & Orchestration (MPAIAHAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC), Audio Engineering Services (Tracking, Mixing, Mastering) (MPAIAHAD)
Keywords
Where Alarm Will Sound is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Alarm Will Sound business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from individual supporters through PayPal and mail-in donations. Organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit.
- Performance Fees: Revenue from concert performances at festivals, venues, and private events. Ensemble-in-residence at Mizzou International Composers Festival.
- Album Sales and Streaming: Digital and physical album sales through Bandcamp, Nonesuch Records, and streaming platforms including Spotify. Releases include 'Land of Winter', 'What Belongs to You', 'Paper Pianos', 'Lift', and 'Artificial'.
- Foundation Grants: Support from foundations including Amphion Foundation, BMI Foundation, Cheswatyr Foundation, Copland Fund, Ditson Fund, HGF Foundation, Samuels Foundation, Sinquefield Foundation, and government arts agencies including Art Works (NEA), DCLA, and NYSCA.
- Matt Marks Impact Fund: Seed funding program offering up to $7,500 for ambitious projects with Alarm Will Sound, supporting emerging composers and new works development.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Donation-based support for 501(c)(3) non-profit |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Alarm Will Sound product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Alarm Will Sound is a 20-member contemporary chamber orchestra that performs, commissions, records, and produces new music works. The ensemble delivers live concert performances, opera and multimedia theatrical productions, educational residencies, and commercial recordings (albums distributed via Nonesuch Records, Bandcamp, and streaming platforms). It also operates the annual Mizzou International Composers Festival as ensemble-in-residence and administers the Matt Marks Impact Fund supporting emerging composers.
Product overview
Alarm Will Sound is a 20-member contemporary chamber orchestra founded in 2001 (with origins at Eastman School of Music in 1996) that specializes in performing, commissioning, and recording contemporary music. The ensemble operates as both a performing ensemble and an presenter of new works, offering theatrical productions (operas and multimedia works like '1969', 'The Hunger', 'What Belongs to You'), running the annual Mizzou International Composers Festival as ensemble-in-residence, administering the Matt Marks Impact Fund for emerging composers, maintaining a digital archive at experienceaws.com, and releasing commercial recordings. The ensemble is known for its stylistic breadth, virtuosity, and commitment to innovation in contemporary music.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- What Belongs to You An operatic adaptation of Garth Greenwell's acclaimed novel, featuring David T. Little's score presented as music-theatre exploring longing, desire, and the search for self.
- The Hunger A docu-opera by Donnacha Dennehy about Ireland's Great Famine (1845-52), performed with soprano Katherine Manley and sean-nós singer Iarla Ó Lionáird, integrating historical accounts, video commentary, and folk recordings with contemporary orchestral score.
- 1969 A multimedia theatrical work telling the story of John Lennon, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and others striving for new music amidst the late 1960s, combining archival video, photography, live performance, and theatrical narration.
- Mizzou International Composers Festival (MICF) An annual festival held in Columbia, Missouri featuring eight resident composers who write new works for Alarm Will Sound, with public concerts, open rehearsals, workshops, and panel discussions.
- Matt Marks Impact Fund A grant program offering up to $7,500 in seed funding for ambitious projects developed with Alarm Will Sound, supporting emerging composers and new works development.
- experienceaws.com Living Archive A living digital archive tracing Alarm Will Sound's 25-year history, featuring an interactive timeline of concerts, collaborations, and performances along with a photo gallery.
- Alarm Will Sound Recordings (Discography) Commercial album releases including GRAMMY-winning 'Land of Winter', 'Paper Pianos', 'What Belongs to You', 'Lift', 'Artificial', and other recordings distributed through Nonesuch Records, Cantaloupe Music, and Bandcamp.
- Live Concert Performances Live performances at major venues and festivals including Carnegie Hall (Zankel Hall), Sheldon Concert Hall, Mizzou International Composers Festival, and international touring engagements.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2026 GRAMMY Award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for 'Land of Winter' by Donnacha Dennehy
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Alarm Will Sound
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Alarm Will Sound technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Alarm Will Sound partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered significant, core and notable.
- Nonesuch RecordssignificantRecord label partner for 'Land of Winter' by Donnacha Dennehy, which won the 2026 GRAMMY Award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance.
- Medeski Martin and WoodsignificantCollaborative recording project 'Omnisphere' released via Indirecto Records, combining jazz improvisation with contemporary classical performance. Multiple live performances including at Brooklyn Steel venue.
- Mizzou International Composers Festival / University of MissouricoreEnsemble-in-residence since the festival's founding in 2010. Alarm Will Sound has premiered over 120 new works at MICF, working with 8 resident composers annually plus distinguished guest composers. The partnership shapes the festival's identity and fosters international composer community.
- GooglenotableTechnology collaboration with Google on interactive and digital music projects, including exploration of conducting technology and digital score management.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Alarm Will Sound competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Knights: Brooklyn-based orchestral collective with a comparable mix of contemporary programming, touring, and recorded output; competitor for the same NYC-area presenters and audiences.
- International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE): Variable-geometry new-music ensemble with an overlapping commissioning pipeline and shared pool of composers; both groups compete for the same presenter venues and recording slots for living composers.
- Eighth Blackbird: Six-member contemporary music ensemble with a parallel artist-led model, comparable size, and overlapping commissioning, recording, and educational programming; Alarm Will Sound's own General Manager joined from Eighth Blackbird, confirming direct operational overlap.
- Roomful of Teeth: GRAMMY-winning vocal ensemble devoted to new vocal and extended-technique music; shares the contemporary commissioning model and overlap in composers and grant funders.
- Bang on a Can All-Stars: Long-running new-music ensemble presenting a similar mix of contemporary classical commissioning, touring, and multimedia productions; comparable in mission to fuse rock and classical idioms.
- Brooklyn Rider: String quartet operating from Brooklyn with cross-genre collaborations and contemporary commissioning that mirrors Alarm Will Sound's multimedia and crossover ambitions.
- yMusic: Six-member contemporary chamber ensemble with an artist-led structure and similar commissioning/recording activity; cross-genre collaborations overlap with Alarm Will Sound's Medeski Martin and Wood and Google work.
- American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME): Chamber orchestra with comparable live-performance, commissioning, and recording activities for living composers; similar size and presenter network to Alarm Will Sound.
- Ensemble Signal: New-music ensemble led by a conductor-composer (Brad Lubman) and devoted exclusively to contemporary repertoire; comparable in size and programming philosophy to Alarm Will Sound.
Broad incumbents
- Kronos Quartet: The preeminent contemporary string quartet with a global touring and recording footprint — overlapping repertoire universe and label relationships but operating at materially larger scale and longer history.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Alarm Will Sound social profiles
Digital presenceAlarm Will Sound financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Alarm Will Sound leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Alarm Will Sound funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Alarm Will Sound 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 Alarm Will Sound
What does Alarm Will Sound do?
Alarm Will Sound is a 20-member contemporary chamber orchestra that performs, commissions, records, and produces new music works. The ensemble delivers live concert performances, opera and multimedia theatrical productions, educational residencies, and commercial recordings (albums distributed via Nonesuch Records, Bandcamp, and streaming platforms). It also operates the annual Mizzou International Composers Festival as ensemble-in-residence and administers the Matt Marks Impact Fund supporting emerging composers.
Is Alarm Will Sound a public or private company?
Alarm Will Sound is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Alarm Will Sound founded?
Alarm Will Sound was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Alarm Will Sound based?
Alarm Will Sound is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.
How does Alarm Will Sound make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are performance Fees, album Sales and Streaming, foundation Grants and matt Marks Impact Fund.
Who are Alarm Will Sound's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Knights, International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), Eighth Blackbird, Roomful of Teeth, Bang on a Can All-Stars, Brooklyn Rider, yMusic, American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME) and Ensemble Signal. Kronos Quartet is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Alarm Will Sound have an API?
No public API is recorded for Alarm Will Sound.
What industry is Alarm Will Sound in?
Alarm Will Sound's product category is Performing Arts - Contemporary Classical Music. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAHAG, Arranging & Orchestration, with a secondary code of EDAMANAC, Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir). Its NAICS code is 71113.