Pasadena Symphony & POPS
Pasadena Symphony & POPS is a nonprofit performing arts organization in Pasadena, California, presenting classical Symphony concerts at Ambassador Auditorium, outdoor Summer POPS concerts at the LA County Arboretum, Holiday Candlelight concerts, and the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestras education program, funded through ticket sales, individual and corporate giving, and institutional grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1928
- HeadquartersPasadena, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Pasadena Symphony & POPS does
Pasadena Symphony & POPS is a nonprofit performing arts organization operated by the Pasadena Symphony Association, founded in 1928 and headquartered in Pasadena, California. The organization presents two core concert series: a formal classical Symphony Series at Ambassador Auditorium and an outdoor Rusnak Summer POPS Series at the LA County Arboretum, supplemented by annual Holiday Candlelight concerts at All Saints Church. It also operates the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestras (PYSO) education program with eight ensemble levels for student musicians, plus community engagement programs such as a Wildfire Recovery Instrument Drive, Random Acts Of Music, and a JPL Chorus.
Revenue is generated through five streams: season subscriptions and single ticket sales (up to 25% discount for subscribers); individual giving including the Conductor's Circle ($2,500+ annually for Symphony, $2,000+ for POPS); corporate partnerships anchored by title sponsor Rusnak; special events including Party at the POPS and the Holiday Look In Home Tour; and institutional support via foundation grants. Ticketing, subscriptions, and donations are processed through a Salesforce-integrated web platform.
Artistic leadership includes Music Director Brett Mitchell (classical series), Principal Pops Conductor Michael Feinstein, and Resident Pops Conductor Larry Blank. Marketing is multi-channel across website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, email newsletters, and earned media, supported by a Director of Marketing and PR. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and is classified as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization with 11-50 employees.
Pasadena Symphony & POPS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pasadena Symphony & POPS
- Legal name
- Pasadena Symphony Association
- Website
- https://pasadenasymphony-pops.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1928
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Pasadena Symphony & POPS is a nonprofit performing arts organization in Pasadena, California, presenting classical Symphony concerts at Ambassador Auditorium, outdoor Summer POPS concerts at the LA County Arboretum, Holiday Candlelight concerts, and the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestras education program, funded through ticket sales, individual and corporate giving, and institutional grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pasadena Symphony & POPS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts Services
- NAICS
- Performing Arts Companies (7111), Musical Groups and Artists (71113)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC), Music Schools & Conservatory Prep (Pre-College) (EDAMANAE)
Keywords
Where Pasadena Symphony & POPS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pasadena
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Pasadena Symphony & POPS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Concert Tickets: Single ticket sales and season subscriptions for Symphony and POPS concert series. Subscribers receive up to 25% discount, preferred seating, free ticket exchanges, VIP events, and complimentary tickets.
- Individual Giving: Donations from individual patrons including Conductor's Circle membership ($2,500+ annually for Symphony, $2,000+ for POPS) with exclusive benefits.
- Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsorship and partnership programs including logo placement, event naming rights, and VIP experiences.
- Special Events: Revenue from special events including Party at the POPS and Holiday Look In Home Tour.
- Institutional Support: Grants and support from institutional foundations and funding organizations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Season Subscription - Symphony Series |
| Subscription | Annual | Season Subscription - POPS Series |
| Subscription | Annual | Conductor's Circle Membership |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Pasadena Symphony & POPS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pasadena Symphony & POPS is a nonprofit performing arts organization that presents live orchestral concerts, including an indoor Symphony Series and the Rusnak Summer POPS Series at outdoor venues. It also operates the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestras (PYSO) youth music education program and produces special events such as Holiday Candlelight, Party at the POPS, and the Holiday Look In Home Tour.
Product overview
Pasadena Symphony & Pops is a performing arts organization presenting two primary concert series: the formal Symphony Series featuring classical orchestral music at Ambassador Auditorium, and the casual Summer POPS Series with popular music performances outdoors at LA County Arboretum. The organization also produces Holiday Candlelight concerts and operates the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestras (PYSO) education program with multiple ensemble levels for student musicians. Ticketing and donations are facilitated through Salesforce-based portals.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Symphony Series
- Rusnak Summer POPS Series
- Holiday Candlelight
- Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestras (PYSO)
- Party at the POPS
- Season Subscriptions
Companies that use Pasadena Symphony & POPS
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Pasadena Symphony & POPS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Pasadena Symphony & POPS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Rusnakmajor sponsorRusnak is the title sponsor of the Summer POPS concert series, branded as the 'Rusnak Summer POPS Series.' Named sponsor provides automotive luxury sponsorship and marketing visibility at outdoor concerts at LA County Arboretum.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Pasadena Symphony & POPS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Colburn Orchestra (Colburn School): LA-based conservatory orchestra featuring pre-college and collegiate musicians performing classical repertoire. Comparable youth education focus to PYSO and competes for the same young musician pipeline and family donor base in the Pasadena/LA market.
Broad incumbents
- LA Opera: Major LA-based performing arts nonprofit operating at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Competes with Pasadena Symphony for the same affluent LA donors, corporate sponsors, and subscriber households interested in live classical-performing-arts experiences.
- Los Angeles Philharmonic: Major LA-based symphony orchestra operating Walt Disney Concert Hall with extensive classical and pops programming. Direct market overlap with Pasadena Symphony in Los Angeles, competing for the same subscriber base, donors, and corporate sponsors.
- San Francisco Symphony: Large California symphony with subscription model, classical and pops programming, and youth ensembles. Comparable operating model and program structure, though materially larger scale and operating budget.
- Boston Symphony Orchestra / Tanglewood: Major US symphony with both indoor subscription season and a summer outdoor pops programming at Tanglewood. Closely comparable dual indoor-classical and outdoor-pops model to Pasadena Symphony + POPS structure.
Direct peers
- Pacific Symphony: Regional symphony orchestra serving Orange County, California with a similar season subscription model, classical and pops programming, and youth education components. Closely comparable in scale, governance structure (nonprofit), and programming strategy.
- Long Beach Symphony: Regional symphony orchestra serving the greater Long Beach/LA area with a classical season and pops programming. Closely comparable in scale, programming mix, and reliance on subscription, donations, and corporate partnerships.
- Hollywood Bowl Orchestra: Summer outdoor orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl performing popular, film, and classical repertoire in an outdoor setting. Direct analogue to Pasadena POPS in format, audience, and summer outdoor concert model, and competitor for LA outdoor classical audiences.
Others
- Segerstrom Center for the Arts: Major Orange County performing arts presenter operating multiple venues with classical, pops, and Broadway programming. Comparable in presenting a multi-genre season and competing for the same Southern California patron, donor, and corporate sponsor pool.
Regional players
- San Diego Symphony: Southern California regional symphony performing at the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park (outdoor) and Copley Symphony Hall. Comparable mid-sized regional orchestra with mixed indoor/outdoor season format, subscriber base, and youth programming.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Pasadena Symphony & POPS social profiles
Digital presencePasadena Symphony & POPS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pasadena Symphony & POPS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Pasadena Symphony & POPS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pasadena Symphony & POPS 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 Pasadena Symphony & POPS
What does Pasadena Symphony & POPS do?
Pasadena Symphony & POPS is a nonprofit performing arts organization that presents live orchestral concerts, including an indoor Symphony Series and the Rusnak Summer POPS Series at outdoor venues. It also operates the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestras (PYSO) youth music education program and produces special events such as Holiday Candlelight, Party at the POPS, and the Holiday Look In Home Tour.
Is Pasadena Symphony & POPS a public or private company?
Pasadena Symphony & POPS is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Pasadena Symphony & POPS founded?
Pasadena Symphony & POPS was founded in 1928. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Pasadena Symphony & POPS based?
Pasadena Symphony & POPS is headquartered in Pasadena, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pasadena Symphony & POPS make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Concert Tickets are the primary driver. The others are individual Giving, corporate Partnerships, special Events and institutional Support.
Who are Pasadena Symphony & POPS's main competitors?
Colburn Orchestra (Colburn School) is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are LA Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony and Boston Symphony Orchestra / Tanglewood. Direct peers are Pacific Symphony, Long Beach Symphony and Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Segerstrom Center for the Arts is listed as an others. San Diego Symphony is listed as a regional player.
Does Pasadena Symphony & POPS have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pasadena Symphony & POPS.
What industry is Pasadena Symphony & POPS in?
Pasadena Symphony & POPS's product category is Performing Arts Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJAFAA, Concerts & Music Festivals, with a secondary code of EDAMANAC, Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir). Its NAICS code is 7111 and its SIC code is 7900.