Handel and Haydn Society

What Handel and Haydn Society does

The Handel and Haydn Society (H+H) is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization founded on March 24, 1815, recognized as the oldest continuously operating performing arts organization in the United States with 211 consecutive seasons. H+H operates a period-instrument orchestra and chorus that performs Baroque and Classical repertoire from the 17th through early-19th centuries using Historically Informed Performance (HIP) practices — including gut strings, valveless brass, and period-appropriate techniques. The organization serves a multifaceted audience of classical music enthusiasts, students, and young professionals across the Greater Boston area, reaching 76,000+ listeners annually through concerts, broadcasts, and digital streams.

H+H generates revenue through a diversified nonprofit model combining earned income (season subscriptions, individual and flex tickets, group bookings, $2.50 student tickets via Masterpass) with contributed income (the "You Are the Music" campaign targeting $53 million, monthly Continuo giving, planned gifts, corporate and institutional support from the National Endowment for the Arts and Massachusetts Cultural Council). Secondary streams include merchandise and recordings (16 CDs on the CORO label, Idagio streaming) and program fees from eight youth choruses and educational partnerships. Distribution is anchored at Symphony Hall with secondary venues at NEC's Jordan Hall, Sanders Theatre (Harvard), Old South Church, and the RCC Media Arts Center, supplemented by national/international touring and digital distribution.

The organization is governed by a Board of Governors and currently led by Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen (the 15th and youngest in H+H history) and outgoing President & CEO David Snead (retired May 2025); Lecolion Washington Jr. assumes the President & CEO role on August 1, 2026. Strategic educational partnerships span MIT (since 2008), Massachusetts College of Art and Design (since 2012), the New England Conservatory, and the Museum of African American History Boston/Nantucket. The workforce totals 51–100 employees, and H+H maintains additional sub-brand programs including the Stone Fellowship (2023), CitySing, Crossing the Deep, H² Mixers + Music, the Tuning In podcast, and Radio H+H.

Name

Handel and Haydn Society

Legal name

The Handel and Haydn Society

Website

https://handelandhaydn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1815

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Handel and Haydn Society, founded in Boston in 1815, is America's oldest continuously operating performing arts organization, running a period-instrument orchestra and chorus that serves 76,000+ listeners annually through historically informed performances of Baroque and Classical music.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts - Period-Instrument Orchestra and Chorus

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Period instrument orchestra
• Baroque classical music
• Choral ensemble performances
• Historically informed performance
• Youth choral education

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales and Subscriptions: H+H generates revenue through individual concert tickets, subscription packages, flex season tickets, and group tickets sold directly through the box office and website for performances at Symphony Hall and other venues.
2. Donations and Fundraising: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, H+H relies heavily on donations including the 'You Are the Music' campaign targeting $53 million to elevate artistic excellence and provide accessible programming. Monthly giving through Continuo program, corporate partnerships, institutional support, and planned giving options.
3. Merchandise and Recordings: H+H sells merchandise including recordings (16 CDs on CORO label) through its online store and has partnered with Idagio streaming platform to release performances digitally.
4. Professional Services and Education: Revenue from educational programs including the Youth Choruses, teaching artists in Boston Public Schools, and specialized programming that supports music education access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Handel and Haydn Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization that delivers live period-instrument orchestra and chorus concerts of Baroque and Classical repertoire (17th through early-19th centuries) using Historically Informed Performance practices. It sells concert tickets and subscriptions, produces recordings on the CORO label, and offers educational programs including eight youth choruses and community engagement initiatives serving over 76,000 listeners annually.

Product overview

The Handel and Haydn Society is a performing arts organization offering a unified portfolio of classical music products and services centered on historically informed performances of Baroque and Classical repertoire. The core offerings include the H+H Orchestra and Chorus, which perform period-instrument concerts at venues including Symphony Hall and NEC’s Jordan Hall. Supporting programs include the H+H Youth Choruses (eight ensembles for grades 2-12), the Tuning In Podcast, Radio H+H broadcasts, and the Listening Room for digital content. Audience engagement products include H+H Masterpass (discounted tickets for students/under-40), H² Mixers + Music (young professional membership), and CitySing (community singing initiative). The organization also offers the Stone Fellowship for emerging musicians and produces educational programming including Musically Speaking pre-concert talks and Crossing the Deep. Recordings are released on the CORO label with 16 CDs to date.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• H+H Youth Choruses (HHYC): Youth choral program supporting singers in grades 2-12 with multiple ensembles including New Voices, Treble Chorus, Youth Chorale, Concert Choir, Chorus of Sopranos + Altos, Chorus of Tenors + Basses, Chamber Choir, and Ambassador Ensemble
• Karen S. and George D. Levy Learning and Education Program
• H+H Stone Fellowship
• H+H Masterpass
• H² Mixers + Music
• H+H CitySing
• Crossing the Deep
• You Are the Music
• H+H Tuning In Podcast
• Radio H+H

Products and services

• H+H Orchestra The main period-instrument orchestra performing Baroque and Classical repertoire with historically informed performance practices, led by Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen. Concerts are performed at Symphony Hall, NEC's Jordan Hall, Sanders Theatre, Old South Church, and other venues for concertgoing audiences and on tour.
• H+H Chorus The choral ensemble performing alongside the H+H Orchestra, known for the first complete American performance of Handel's Messiah in 1818 and for annual performances of Messiah during the holiday season.
• H+H Youth Choruses (HHYC)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 76,000 listeners annually attend H+H concerts
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership initiated in 2008 where H+H musicians visit MIT music history classes for live demonstrations and Q&A sessions about period instruments, coach choral and orchestral ensembles on period performance, and co-present lectures and panel discussions with MIT faculty. MIT students and faculty attend concerts with complimentary tickets.
• Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership initiated in 2012 where juniors in the Illustration Department create original artwork responding to H+H masterwork performances. H+H's HIP Fellow Teresa Neff and musicians work with students. Twelve artworks are selected by jury for display at Symphony Hall during concerts. Past projects include Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4, Brahms Requiem, Bach Easter Oratorio, Haydn The Creation, Handel Messiah, Vivaldi Four Seasons, Handel Hercules, and Handel Semele.
• Museum of African American History Boston/NantucketcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration for the annual Emancipation Proclamation Concert as part of Boston's First Night celebration, commemorating the anniversary of Lincoln's proclamation and celebrating Boston's role in the abolition movement.
• New England ConservatorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformances at NEC's Jordan Hall venue. Stone Fellowship provides mentorship and training with H+H musicians and partners at NEC for early-career musicians underrepresented in period performance.
• Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPride celebrations partnership including collaborative art activation with Artists for Humanity and community sing at Haydn + Beethoven concerts.
• National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)minorOthersSeason supporter providing institutional funding for H+H programming and operations.
• Massachusetts Cultural CouncilminorOthersSeason supporter providing institutional funding for H+H programming and operations.
• Carnegie HallflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerH+H makes Carnegie Hall debut on May 14, 2026 with Bach + Telemann program, led by Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen. This represents a major milestone for national recognition.
• ChamberQUEERminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrooklyn-based collective collaborating on BaroQUEER: Historically Informed concert celebrating queerness in classical music with 'pay what you wish' pricing.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra: Toronto-based period-instrument baroque orchestra. A leading North American HIP ensemble with similar repertoire, touring activity, and educational mission to H+H.
• Apollo's Fire: Cleveland-based period-instrument baroque orchestra and chorus founded by Jeannette Sorrell. Closely comparable as a HIP-focused ensemble with national touring, recording releases, and educational programming.
• Boston Baroque: Boston-based period-instrument orchestra and chorus performing Baroque and Classical repertoire. Direct peer sharing the same city, HIP methodology, and core repertoire (e.g., Handel's Messiah) as H+H.
• Academy of Ancient Music: UK-based period-instrument orchestra with a comparable HIP repertoire focus. A relevant international peer for benchmarking touring, recording, and artistic programming strategy.
• Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra: San Francisco-based period-instrument orchestra and chorale. A comparable HIP ensemble on the West Coast, competing for similar audiences, recording labels, and donor pools.

Emerging players

• Piffaro, the Renaissance Band: Philadelphia-based early-music ensemble focused on Renaissance and early Baroque wind and reed repertoire. Comparable as a HIP specialist ensemble, but with a narrower instrumental focus than H+H's full orchestra and chorus.

Broad incumbents

• Boston Symphony Orchestra: Major U.S. orchestra headquartered at Symphony Hall, sharing the same primary venue as H+H. Competes for Boston audiences, donors, and venue slots but operates a far larger traditional symphonic repertoire and budget.
• St. Luke's Orchestra: New York-based flexible-size orchestra with a mixed repertoire including period-informed programming. Comparable as a similarly-sized hybrid ensemble but with broader commercial and educational activity than H+H.

Others

• Early Music America: National service organization supporting the HIP field, including H+H and other period-instrument ensembles. Relevant as an ecosystem enabler and benchmarking source rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• New York Baroque Incorporated: New York-based period-instrument ensemble. Operates in an adjacent U.S. market with a comparable HIP offering, providing a regional benchmark for programming, fundraising, and audience development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/handelandhaydn
• Facebookfacebook.com/handelandhaydn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/handel-and-haydn-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Handel and Haydn Society