Celebrity Series of Boston

What Celebrity Series of Boston does

Celebrity Series of Boston, doing business as Vivo Performing Arts, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts presenter headquartered at 20 Park Plaza, Suite 220 in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1938, the organization books and presents international-caliber live performances spanning classical music, jazz, dance, and world music to Boston-area audiences. It operates as a presenting organization rather than a resident ensemble, staging visiting artists across multiple partner venues throughout the metropolitan area.

Its programming is delivered through structured season subscriptions, individual ticket sales, group sales for parties of 10 or more, student pricing, senior discounts, and an annual membership program. The 2026/27 season encompasses six performance series — Classical Music, Jazz, Dance, What's Next, Debut Series, and Neighborhood Arts — plus dedicated festivals including the Jazz Festival scheduled April 1–4, 2027 at a new venue and Let's Dance Boston 2026. Audience and ticketing infrastructure consists of a web-based portal (tickets.vivoperformingarts.org), a mobile wallet application for contactless entry, and the ArtsCard Boston mobile app distribution partnership supporting the 35 Under initiative. No proprietary AI, machine-learning, or advanced technical components are disclosed in the available material.

Revenue is generated across six streams: individual ticket sales, season subscriptions and memberships (recurring), charitable donations, corporate and foundation support, group sales, and government/institutional funding. Customer segments are diversified across general performing arts audiences, students, seniors, groups, young professionals (35 Under), and underserved communities reached through free programming. In the 2024/25 season, community engagement programs served 7,865 people through 90 free-to-attend programs. The organization holds a Charity Navigator 4-Star rating and a Candid Transparency Seal 2026 and is governed by a Board of Directors; there are no funding rounds, M&A activity, or equity shareholders.

Name

Celebrity Series of Boston

Legal name

Celebrity Series of Boston, Inc.

Website

https://celebrityseries.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Celebrity Series of Boston, operating as Vivo Performing Arts, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts presenter in Boston, MA, founded in 1938. It presents classical music, jazz, dance, and world music through season subscriptions, ticketing, memberships, and free community programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Presenting

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows (MPAGAFAA), Local Community & Multi-Category Fairs (MPAGAFAO)

Keywords

• Live performance presenting
• Performing arts programming
• Classical music concerts
• Dance performance series
• Community arts programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Individual performance tickets sold at general admission and preferred pricing levels, with discounts for students and seniors.
2. Season Subscriptions: Multi-performance subscription packages offering discounted access to the full season programming including Classical Music, Jazz, and Dance series.
3. Membership Program: Annual membership program providing benefits and exclusive access to supporters.
4. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations accepted via donor-advised funds, IRAs, stock, check, or credit card.
5. Corporate and Foundation Support: Institutional funding from corporations, foundations, and government entities including technology sponsorship programs.
6. Group Sales: Discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more attending performances.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Celebrity Series of Boston, doing business as Vivo Performing Arts, is a nonprofit performing arts presenter that curates and presents live music and dance performances in Boston. Programming spans classical music, jazz, dance, world music, and contemporary works, sold via season subscriptions, individual tickets, group sales, student/senior discounts, and the 35 Under youth program. The organization complements ticketed events with free community engagement programs and accepts tax-deductible donations, corporate, and foundation support.

Product overview

Celebrity Series of Boston, doing business as Vivo Performing Arts, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts presenter offering a comprehensive portfolio of live performance programming. The core offerings include multiple performance series (Classical Music, Jazz, Dance, What's Next, Debut Series, Neighborhood Arts) within season subscription packages, standalone event ticketing, and annual festivals (Jazz Festival, Let's Dance Boston). The organization complements its ticketing services with membership programs, group sales, student pricing, and the 35 Under/ArtsCard Boston youth initiative. Community engagement is a significant component, featuring free public performances, artist connections, AileyDance For Active Aging, Take Your Seat, and Book Club Meetups. Ticketing is facilitated through a digital platform including mobile wallet functionality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ArtsCard Boston: Mobile app for the 35 Under program providing exclusive access to discounted tickets

Products and services

• 2026/27 Season Subscription Multi-performance subscription package providing access to the full 2026/27 Vivo Performing Arts season including classical music, jazz, dance, and other performance series, sold to individual arts patrons in the Boston area.
• Classical Music Series 2026/27 Curated classical music performance series for the 2026/27 season, presenting internationally acclaimed classical musicians and ensembles to Boston audiences.
• Jazz in 2026/27 Jazz performance programming for the 2026/27 season featuring jazz artists and ensembles performing live in Boston venues.
• Dance Series 2026/27 Dance performance series featuring dazzling debuts from around the world and landmark American dance companies, presented as part of the 2026/27 season.
• What's Next Series Contemporary and innovative performance series showcasing emerging artists and new works for Boston audiences.
• Jazz Festival Annual jazz festival featuring performances across multiple venues, with the 2027 edition scheduled for April 1-4, 2027 at a new venue.
• The Debut Series Performance series showcasing debut performances and emerging artists in Boston.
• Let's Dance Boston 2026 Dance festival and programming series celebrating dance in Boston, presented as part of the season offerings.
• Neighborhood Arts Community-focused ticketed performances presented in partnership with local venues and festivals including Mission Hill Arts Festival, featuring artists like Shane Sager, Hyde Square Task Force, and DADA.
• 35 Under & ArtsCard Boston Discounted ticketing program for patrons under 35, distributed exclusively through the ArtsCard Boston mobile application to build next-generation arts audiences.
• Group Sales Discount ticketing service for groups of 10 or more attending performances in the 2026/27 season, including organizations, schools, corporate groups, and social clubs, handled via online inquiry forms.
• Student Tickets Special student pricing program including Advance Student Tickets for select performances and day-of-show Student Rush available in person for most performances, targeted at K-12 and college/university students.
• Membership Program Annual membership program providing benefits and exclusive access to performances and supporter experiences for organizational supporters.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7,865 people reached through community engagement programs in 2024/25 Season
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Mission Hill Arts FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership for co-presenting performances at the Mission Hill Arts Festival. In summer 2026, Vivo Performing Arts co-presented 3 artists including Shane Sager, Hyde Square Task Force, and DADA as part of the festival programming.
• Berklee College of MusicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerklee-trained artists perform with Vivo Performing Arts programming, including harmonica virtuoso Shane Sager who was Berklee-trained in blues, country, and jazz.
• Hyde Square Task ForceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner organization presenting Bomba percussion and expressive dance celebrating Puerto Rican culture as part of the Mission Hill Arts Festival co-presentation.
• ArtsCard BostonmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distribution partner for the 35 Under program, providing subsidized ticket access for young professionals through a dedicated mobile application platform.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Handel and Haydn Society: Boston-based classical and Baroque period-instrument ensemble and presenter. Competes for the same classical ticket buyer and donor base in the Boston metro, with comparable subscription and educational outreach models.
• Boston Symphony Orchestra: Boston's flagship classical music presenter and resident orchestra. Direct competitor for classical music audiences, donors, and corporate sponsors in the same metro, and a benchmark for subscription programming economics.
• Boch Center (Wang Theatre): Boston presenting organization operating the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre for live performance and touring productions. Directly comparable presenter model, same metro, competing for diverse live entertainment ticket buyers.
• Washington Performing Arts: DC-based nonprofit performing arts presenter with multi-genre season programming (classical, jazz, dance, world music) and education/community engagement focus. Highly comparable in mission, structure, and programming mix.
• Boston Lyric Opera: Boston-based opera company with subscription season, community engagement programs, and nonprofit funding model. Direct peer for classical performing arts audiences, donors, and corporate sponsors in the same metro.
• American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.): Harvard-affiliated professional theater in Cambridge. Competes for Boston-area arts audiences and donors, with overlapping subscription/membership models and similar nonprofit 501(c)(3) structure.
• Cal Performances: UC Berkeley-affiliated presenting organization with a multi-genre season (music, dance, theater). Closely aligned presenter model: no resident company, curated visiting artist programming, subscription-based revenue, and equity/community engagement programs.

Broad incumbents

• Carnegie Hall: Iconic New York presenting organization with a global classical, jazz, and world music presenting model. Operates at a significantly larger scale but shares the curated-presenter (non-resident-company) approach with multi-genre season programming.
• Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM): Larger, established multi-venue performing arts presenter in Brooklyn with curated music, dance, and theater programming. Larger scale and broader portfolio, but the same presenter/curator model with no resident producing company.
• Chicago Symphony Orchestra / Symphony Center Presents: Major U.S. symphony orchestra with a presenter-style curated series alongside resident programming. Comparable in scale and scope of presenting operations and the same mix of subscription, single tickets, and educational outreach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/vivoperformingarts
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@VivoPerformingArts
• Facebookfacebook.com/celebrityseries
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/celebrity-series-of-boston
• Instagraminstagram.com/vivoperformingarts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Celebrity Series of Boston