Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra

What Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra does

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 1968, operating a 40-member chamber ensemble that performs historical masterworks and contemporary compositions across multiple Los Angeles venues. Under Music Director Jaime Martín and Executive Director Ben Cadwallader, LACO presents four core concert series — Orchestral, Chamber, Baroque, and Recital — at Zipper Hall (The Colburn School), The Huntington's Rothenberg Hall, and the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, with a high-visibility annual appearance at the Hollywood Bowl. The organization also runs a Learning Department delivering in-school residencies (Meet the Artists, Meet the Music), Family Days, and a Master Class Series in partnership with the Colburn School, plus the LACO Fellowship program for musicians from historically underrepresented groups.

LACO's revenue model is a hybrid nonprofit structure with seven distinct streams: single and subscription ticket sales, individual annual fund giving (tiered from $100 to $50,000+), corporate concert and artist sponsorships (starting at $7,500), planned giving through a Legacy Society, Sound Investment commissioning memberships ($50–$500), and gala event fundraising. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via website, phone box office, and walk-up sales, supported by a Salesforce ticketing platform. The go-to-market motion is multi-channel: digital marketing and email for top-of-funnel, education programs and Master Classes for mid-funnel audience development, and galas and special events for bottom-of-funnel donor cultivation. Long-tenured partnerships with the Colburn School, Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (ICYOLA), and the Jane A. Lehman and Alan G. Lehman Foundation anchor both artistic and education programming. The organization has earned eight ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming, a 32-recording discography, and recognition as 'America's finest chamber orchestra' by Public Radio International.

Name

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra

Legal name

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Society, Inc.

Website

https://laco.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit chamber orchestra founded in 1968, operating a 40-member ensemble that performs classical and contemporary works across Los Angeles venues and runs K-12 education and musician fellowship programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from single tickets and subscription series for orchestral, chamber, baroque, and recital concerts at multiple Los Angeles venues
2. Individual Donations: Annual fund donations at various giving levels ($100-$50,000+) with corresponding benefits including early access to tickets, donor lounge access, and exclusive events
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Concert and featured artist sponsorships starting at $7,500 for recognition in season programs and website, plus post-concert dinners with artists
4. Planned Giving: Legacy gifts including bequests, charitable gift annuities, life insurance, donor advised funds, and charitable remainder/lead trusts
5. Sound Investment Memberships: Commissioning club memberships ($500 standard, $250 first-time, $50 student) providing access to composer salons and premiere tickets
6. Gala Events: Annual gala celebrations with auction, sponsorships, and honoree recognition generating significant fundraising revenue

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra is a 40-member professional chamber orchestra that presents subscription and single-ticket concert series (Orchestral, Chamber, Baroque, Recital, Special Concerts) at venues across Los Angeles County, commissions and premieres new works through the Sound Investment program, and delivers K-12 music education programs (Meet the Artists, Meet the Music, Family Days, Master Class Series) alongside the LACO Fellowship for underrepresented musicians.

Product overview

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra offers a portfolio of concert series and educational programs. The core concert offerings include the Orchestral Series (full ensemble performances), Chamber Series (intimate chamber music), Baroque Series (early music), Recital Series (solo performances), and Special Concerts. Education initiatives encompass the Meet the Artists and Meet the Music programs for K-12 students, Family Days community events, and the LACO Master Class Series. The Sound Investment Program enables patrons to commission new works, while the Fellowship Program provides professional development for emerging musicians from underrepresented groups. Ticketing products include subscriptions to various series and Student Rush Tickets. The LACO Teaching Artist program recruits musicians and composers to deliver music education curricula in schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Orchestral Series
• Chamber Series
• Baroque Series
• Recital Series
• Special Concerts
• LACO Master Class Series
• Meet the Artists Program (Fall Semester In-School Residency)
• Meet the Music Program (Spring Semester In-School Residency)
• Family Days
• Sound Investment Commissioning Program
• LACO Fellowship Program
• LACO Teaching Artist Opportunities
• Student Rush Tickets
• 2026/27 Season Subscriptions

Quantifiable outcome

• 32 recordings made and touring across Europe, South America, Japan, and North America
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Brookfield Properties (FIGat7th)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1994Host of Kent Twitchell's 'Harbor Freeway Overture' mural featuring LACO musicians, an 8-story-high, 11,000 square foot artwork visible to 250,000+ daily commuters.
• The Colburn SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLACO Master Class Series held at Colburn School where guest artists lead in-depth master classes with select Colburn students. These free public masterclasses provide rare insight into artistic and learning processes.
• Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (ICYOLA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLACO Fellows engage in teaching artist opportunities through LACO's Learning initiatives and with ICYOLA, expanding reach of music education programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Camerata Pacifica: LA-based chamber music organization presenting intimate performances across multiple Southern California venues. Direct competitor for LA-area chamber music audiences, subscribers, and corporate sponsors.
• Saint Luke's Orchestra: NYC-based conductorless chamber orchestra of comparable size and freelance musician roster. Direct peer in operating model (musician-led, no permanent conductor) and programming approach.
• Orpheus Chamber Orchestra: NYC-based conductorless chamber orchestra of similar mid-size (roughly 30-40 members) with comparable subscription, education, and commissioning programs. Direct peer in scale, nonprofit structure, and concert programming model.
• Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra: San Francisco Bay Area period-instrument chamber orchestra offering Baroque and Classical repertoire on a subscription model. Closest direct competitor in format (small professional chamber orchestra) and repertoire positioning (Baroque Series overlap).
• Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center: Nonprofit chamber music presenter in New York offering orchestral, chamber, and recital series similar to LACO's portfolio. Operates comparable subscription ticketing, donor cultivation tiers, and educational programming for the public.

Regional players

• Pacific Symphony: Orange County-based regional orchestra with comparable subscription, education, and donor tier structures. Regional competitor for Southern California subscribers and corporate sponsors.
• Boston Baroque: East Coast period-instrument chamber orchestra with subscription and Baroque programming closely paralleling LACO's Baroque Series. Comparable in scale and nonprofit structure.
• Southwest Chamber Music: LA-based chamber ensemble with comparable subscription and contemporary programming focus, including 2 Grammy Awards. Regional competitor for LA chamber music audiences and donors.

Others

• Music Academy of the West: Santa Barbara-based nonprofit combining pre-professional training with public concert programming. Comparable in education-plus-performance model, though more focused on training than LACO's K-12 focus.

Broad incumbents

• LA Philharmonic: Much larger LA-based orchestra operating Walt Disney Concert Hall with broader programming including education (YOLA) and contemporary initiatives. Competes for the same LA corporate sponsors, major donors, and classical audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lacotweets
• Facebookfacebook.com/lachamberorchestra
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lachamberorchestra

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra