Royal Melbourne Philharmonic
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic is a not-for-profit performing arts organisation founded in 1853, operating an ~80-voice choir and a freelance professional orchestra that presents classical concerts, the RMP Aria Competition, and high-profile backing collaborations across Melbourne's premier venues.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1853
- HeadquartersMelbourne, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Royal Melbourne Philharmonic does
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic (RMP) is a not-for-profit Incorporated Association founded in 1853, operating as Australia's oldest surviving arts organisation and one of the world's oldest independent secular choirs. The organisation comprises two integrated performance arms: the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir, a symphonic choir of approximately 80 voices, and the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra (RMPO), composed of freelance professional musicians paid on a project basis. RMP presents regular concert performances of classical choral and orchestral repertoire at Melbourne's most prestigious venues, including Melbourne Town Hall, St Paul's Cathedral, Rod Laver Arena, and Melbourne Recital Centre, with the ensemble expandable to over 300 musicians for major oratorio productions such as Carmina Burana.
RMP's revenue model blends ticket sales (via the Trybooking platform), tiered donations ranging from $10 to a $50,000 Principal Sponsor tier, corporate sponsorships led by the Eric Ormond Baker Charitable Fund and supported by foundations such as the Robert Salzer Foundation, City of Melbourne arts grants, choir membership subscriptions, and competition entry fees from its flagship RMP Aria Competition. The Aria Competition is widely regarded as Australia's most prestigious singing award for oratorio singers and serves as a career launchpad, with alumni achieving international recording and performance careers. RMP has built a high-profile external collaboration portfolio including backing Andrea Bocelli at Rod Laver Arena (2022) and the Sydney Cricket Ground (2025), performing with Josh Groban at the Palais Theatre, recording for John Farnham and Olivia Newton-John, performing at the Prime Minister's Olympic Dinner and ANZAC Dawn Ceremony, and touring China in 2018/19.
The organisation is governed by a volunteer Executive Committee (President Anna Joy Hoffmann, Secretary Marja Barisic, Treasurer Kimberly Fabijancic) with Andrew Wailes serving as Artistic Director and Chief Conductor. It operates from a head office at Suite 3, Level 2, 156 Collins Street, Melbourne, and has secured The Assembly Hall (Werner Brodbeck Hall) at Scots' Church as its primary rehearsal venue from 2026. As a registered charity with deductible gift recipient status, RMP relies on diversified philanthropic, government, and earned-income streams rather than equity capital, with no disclosed funding rounds or financial statements.
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Royal Melbourne Philharmonic
- Legal name
- Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Society Inc.
- Website
- https://rmp.org.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1853
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Royal Melbourne Philharmonic is a not-for-profit performing arts organisation founded in 1853, operating an ~80-voice choir and a freelance professional orchestra that presents classical concerts, the RMP Aria Competition, and high-profile backing collaborations across Melbourne's premier venues.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts
- NAICS
- Musical Groups and Artists (711130)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)
Keywords
Where Royal Melbourne Philharmonic is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Melbourne
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices3 records
Markets served
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Concert ticket sales: Revenue generated from selling tickets to classical concerts and performances through Trybooking platform
- Donations and sponsorships: Financial support from donors at various tiers (Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver donors) and corporate sponsors
- Sponsorship and brand partnerships: Corporate sponsors including principal sponsor Eric Ormond Baker Charitable Fund and other major supporters like City of Melbourne and Robert Salzer Foundation
- Membership fees: Choir membership with discounts for students and under 25s
- Competition entry fees: RMP Aria Competition entry fees with cash prizes up to $2,500 for winners
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Donation tiers from Bronze to Principal Sponsor |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic presents classical choral and orchestral concert performances through its two ensembles — an approximately 80-voice symphonic choir and a professional freelance orchestra. The organization hosts regular concerts featuring classical repertoire such as Handel's Messiah and Carmina Burana at prestigious Melbourne venues, runs the annual RMP Aria Competition for aspiring oratorio soloists, offers choir membership and auditions, and supports its operations through ticket sales, memberships, donations, and corporate sponsorships.
Product overview
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic is a not-for-profit performing arts organization offering two core products: the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir (an approximately 80-voice symphonic choir) and the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra (RMPO, a professional freelance orchestra). The organization presents regular concert performances featuring classical choral and orchestral works at Melbourne's major venues, hosts the annual RMP Aria Competition for aspiring oratorio singers, offers choir membership and auditions, and sells tickets and accepts donations to support its operations. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's oldest surviving arts organization.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir A large symphonic choir of approximately 80 voices, regarded as one of Australia's finest choral ensembles, performing classical choral works at major venues across Melbourne. Open to new members through auditions, particularly welcoming baritones and low basses.
- Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra (RMPO) A professional symphony orchestra comprising freelance professional musicians who perform alongside the choir and at independent orchestral concerts, including international tours such as the 2018/19 China tour.
- RMP Aria Competition
Quantifiable outcome
- 244+ performances of Handel's Messiah since 1853
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Royal Melbourne Philharmonic
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Andrea BocelliflagshipRMP Orchestra and Choir backed Andrea Bocelli for his 2022 Rod Laver Arena concert and 2025 Australian tour including Sydney Cricket Ground performance.
- Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO)corePerformance partner collaborating on orchestral performances. RMP has performed with MSO in recent seasons.
- Orchestra VictoriacorePerformance partner providing orchestral support for performances with The Australian Ballet and other events.
- The Australian BalletcoreRegular performance partner for ballet seasons and dance performances.
- TEG Van EgmondcoreConcert promoter and booking agent, particularly for major touring acts like Andrea Bocelli's Australian tours.
- Melbourne University Choral Society (MUCS)coreRegular collaborative performances including large-scale oratorios and festivals.
- Plexus CollectiveminorCollaborative performances with this Australian ensemble group.
- Box Hill ChoraleminorCollaborative performances in combined choral events.
- National Boys Choir of AustraliacoreFeatured guest performer at Carols in the Cathedral and other major events.
- City of Melbourne Highland Pipe BandminorPerforms at Carols in the Cathedral and civic events.
- The AngelsminorRMP Choir performed with iconic Aussie rock band The Angels at Sydney Opera House in 2019.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Melbourne's flagship professional symphony orchestra and Australia's oldest professional orchestra. RMP and MSO regularly partner on performances while competing for the same classical audiences, sponsors, and premier venue bookings in Melbourne.
- Melbourne Bach Choir: Long-established Melbourne-based choral society focused on Bach and classical choral works. Competes directly with RMP for Melbourne choir audiences, choral sponsorship, and chorister recruitment.
- Orchestra Victoria: Victoria's state orchestra, partnering with The Australian Ballet and other productions. As RMP's frequent orchestral partner and direct competitor for Victorian orchestral contracts, Orchestra Victoria is a close operational peer in the Melbourne classical scene.
- Sydney Philharmonia Choirs: One of Australia's leading choral organisations and a long-established community choir focused on oratorio and symphonic choral repertoire. Operates as a comparable choral counterpart with similar classical programming, Aria-style competitions, and partnership models.
- The Song Company: Sydney-based professional vocal ensemble specialising in early, new, and contemporary choral music. Comparable choral ensemble peer with similar repertoire breadth, project-paid professional model, and ticketed performance orientation.
Broad incumbents
- Victorian Opera: Melbourne-based opera company and major performing arts competitor. Competes for the same Melbourne classical audiences, civic contracts, and major-venue bookings, with an overlapping donor and sponsor base.
- Australian Chamber Orchestra: Australia's national touring chamber orchestra with broader geographic reach and brand presence. Competes for national sponsorship, media attention, and top-tier classical audiences across Australia.
Emerging players
- Gondwana National Choirs: National youth choral organisation that develops young Australian singers. Represents both a feeder for emerging talent into RMP's competition pipeline and a competitor for younger audience development and arts education funding.
Regional players
- Adelaide Symphony Orchestra: South Australian state orchestra with broader programming and reach than RMP. Comparable in classical music space but operates as a more established and larger regional incumbent in a different state capital.
- Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra: Regional symphony orchestra based in Brisbane with similar choral-orchestral programming. Comparable in scale and structure to RMP but serving a different metropolitan audience in Queensland.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic social profiles
Digital presenceRoyal Melbourne Philharmonic financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic 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 Royal Melbourne Philharmonic
What does Royal Melbourne Philharmonic do?
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic presents classical choral and orchestral concert performances through its two ensembles — an approximately 80-voice symphonic choir and a professional freelance orchestra. The organization hosts regular concerts featuring classical repertoire such as Handel's Messiah and Carmina Burana at prestigious Melbourne venues, runs the annual RMP Aria Competition for aspiring oratorio soloists, offers choir membership and auditions, and supports its operations through ticket sales, memberships, donations, and corporate sponsorships.
Is Royal Melbourne Philharmonic a public or private company?
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Royal Melbourne Philharmonic founded?
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic was founded in 1853. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Royal Melbourne Philharmonic based?
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Royal Melbourne Philharmonic make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Concert ticket sales are the primary driver. The others are donations and sponsorships, sponsorship and brand partnerships, membership fees and competition entry fees.
Who are Royal Melbourne Philharmonic's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Bach Choir, Orchestra Victoria, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and The Song Company. Broad incumbents are Victorian Opera and Australian Chamber Orchestra. Gondwana National Choirs is listed as an emerging player. Regional players are Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra.
Does Royal Melbourne Philharmonic have an API?
No public API is recorded for Royal Melbourne Philharmonic.
What industry is Royal Melbourne Philharmonic in?
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic's product category is Performing Arts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJAFAB, Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts. Its NAICS code is 711130.