Fairfax Symphony
The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional orchestra founded in 1957, performing subscription concert seasons and music education programs across Northern Virginia from resident-company venues at George Mason University and Capital One Hall.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1957
- HeadquartersFairfax, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Fairfax Symphony does
The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional symphony orchestra founded in 1957 and headquartered in Merrifield, Virginia, serving Northern Virginia and the broader Washington, D.C. region. It fields an 80-member professional orchestra performing a subscription concert season anchored at George Mason University's Center for the Arts (resident company since 1990) and, since 2021, at Capital One Hall in Tysons. Programming spans classical masterworks (Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Prokofiev), 22 premieres and 7 commissioned works under Music Director Christopher Zimmerman (since 2009), film-score presentations, and crossover events featuring internationally renowned soloists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Renée Fleming, Jeremy Denk, and Itzhak Perlman.
The business model is donation-dependent: ticket sales cover less than 50% of the operating budget. Revenue is generated through subscription and single-ticket sales (including a $20 student tier), individual donations, corporate sponsorships (NextDayFlyers is the current Official Printing Sponsor), and legacy giving (McKeever Legacy Fund honoring former Board Chairman Jim McKeever, 2016–2021). The orchestra is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Jose "Pepe" Figueroa with Jonathan Kerr as President & CEO. Education is a strategic pillar: the Carnegie Hall Link Up partnership (40+ years) serves Title 1 elementary schools across the region, reaching more than 10,000 students virtually during the pandemic, and the FSO Fellowship Program supports emerging musicians from backgrounds underrepresented in orchestras. Corporate outreach is led through a dedicated sponsorship contact and customizable partnership packages. Marketing runs through a website, Constant Contact email list, venue box offices, and community-based education outreach.
Fairfax Symphony firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Fairfax Symphony
- Legal name
- Fairfax Symphony Orchestra
- Website
- https://fairfaxsymphony.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1957
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional orchestra founded in 1957, performing subscription concert seasons and music education programs across Northern Virginia from resident-company venues at George Mason University and Capital One Hall.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Fairfax Symphony industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts / Symphony Orchestra Services
- NAICS
- Musical Groups and Artists (711130), Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Performing Arts Companies (7111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arranging & Orchestration (MPAIAHAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC)
Keywords
Where Fairfax Symphony is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fairfax
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Fairfax Symphony business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Ticket sales from concert performances at George Mason University Center for the Arts and Capital One Hall. The FSO notes that ticket sales cover less than 50% of the organization's budget.
- Individual Donations: Individual contributions through the donation portal, with various giving levels and benefits including subscription order benefits, free parking, complimentary beverages, and special invitations.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partnership sponsorships with customizable benefits and investments to meet marketing and community outreach goals. Current sponsors include NextDayFlyers as Official Printing Sponsor.
- Legacy Fund Donations: The McKeever Legacy Fund supports artistic excellence and innovative education programs, honoring Jim McKeever's service as Board Chairman from 2016-2021.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Per event | Full-time students (through age 25) receive $20 discounted tickets |
| Subscription | Annual | Season subscriptions with multiple tiers including savings, free parking, complimentary beverages, special invitations |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Fairfax Symphony product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) is an 80-member professional symphony orchestra that produces a subscription concert season of classical masterworks and contemporary premieres performed with world-renowned guest soloists at George Mason University Center for the Arts and Capital One Hall. It complements performances with music education programs including the Carnegie Hall Link Up partnership for grades 3-5 and the FSO Fellowship Program for emerging diverse musicians, supported by ticket sales, individual donations, and corporate sponsorships.
Product overview
The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra is a regional symphony offering a unified portfolio of live orchestral concert performances and music education programs. The core product is its subscription concert season featuring classical works performed by an 80-member professional orchestra with guest soloists at George Mason University Center for the Arts and Capital One Hall. Supporting programs include the Carnegie Hall partnership Link Up education program for grades 3-5, the FSO Fellowship Program for emerging diverse musicians, corporate sponsorships, individual donations, and student ticket programs. The symphony also hosts special collaborations including The Nutcracker with the Fairfax Ballet and education initiatives in partnership with Fairfax County Public Schools.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 10,000 students served during pandemic through virtual Link Up program
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Fairfax Symphony
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Fairfax Symphony technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Fairfax Symphony partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- NextDayFlyersminorOfficial Printing Sponsor of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra. NextDayFlyers provides printing services for FSO marketing and promotional materials as a corporate sponsor.
- Bown-McCauley Dance CompanyminorConcert and dance collaboration established under Music Director Christopher Zimmerman's leadership. Strategic artistic collaboration bringing together orchestral music and dance performances.
- Capital One HallcorePerformance venue partnership at Capital One Hall in Tysons, VA for select FSO concerts including special events like Michael W. Smith Christmas Tour, Blade Runner Live, and other innovative programming. FSO is a resident company presenting new shows at this venue.
- Carnegie Hall (Weill Institute)corePartnership with Carnegie Hall's Weill Institute for the Link Up: The Orchestra Sings program. This free, innovative music learning program connects the classroom to the concert hall for Grades 3-5 music and art teachers. The program provides free curriculum, teacher guides, and a culminating concert where students perform with the FSO.
- Fairfax BalletcoreAnnual collaboration presenting Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker with live FSO musical accompaniment. This partnership combines artistic strengths of FSO and Fairfax Ballet to spotlight talented local artists, musicians, and dancers. Unique in the Washington metro region as the only Nutcracker presented with live full orchestra accompaniment.
- George Mason University Center for the ArtscoreResident company partnership since 1990 at George Mason University's Center for the Arts. FSO performs main season concerts at this venue with the GMU Box Office handling ticket services. Annual co-presentations with GMU feature renowned artists including soprano Renée Fleming and pianists Jeremy Denk and Simone Dinnerstein. The Link Up culminating concert takes place at this venue.
- Fairfax County Public Schoolscore50+ year education partnership with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). The FSO has provided education programs in partnership with FCPS for over 40 years, including the award-winning Link Up program serving thousands of students annually. The FSO received FCPS Community Partner of the Year Award for outstanding educational partnership. In 1973, the orchestra launched its first educational program in partnership with FCPS.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Fairfax Symphony competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Charlotte Symphony Orchestra: Peer-sized regional orchestra performing across multiple venues (Knight Theater, Belk Theater), strong education and community engagement programs, and a comparable budget structure with material philanthropic dependency. Closely matched in scale and geography type.
- Baltimore Symphony Orchestra: Mid-Atlantic regional orchestra with a similar musician count, multi-venue programming (Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, The Music Center at Strathmore), and deep school partnership programs including OrchKids. Highly comparable operating model.
- National Symphony Orchestra: Resident orchestra of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., operating a full subscription season, education programs, and community outreach serving the same D.C. metro market as FSO. Closest direct comparator in scale, programming model, and donor pool.
- Virginia Symphony Orchestra: Commonwealth-based regional orchestra serving Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Hampton Roads with a similar subscription season model, school programming, and donor-funded budget structure. Direct intra-Virginia comparator.
- National Philharmonic: Regional symphony orchestra based in Bethesda, Maryland, presenting classical masterworks, premieres, and education outreach in the greater D.C. metro area. Closely comparable in size, programming philosophy, and reliance on donations and ticket revenue.
- Richmond Symphony: Virginia-based regional orchestra of comparable scale, performing classical, pops, and family series with substantial K-12 education programs (Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra and Link Up). Highly analogous structure and revenue mix.
Broad incumbents
- New York Philharmonic: Preeminent U.S. orchestra with extensive education programs (Young People's Concerts, Very Young Composers), corporate partnerships, and global brand reach. Useful as a benchmark for FSO's ultimate scale ceiling and as a comparable on education-driven programming strategy.
- Atlanta Symphony Orchestra: Large-tier U.S. regional symphony with extensive education programming (Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, Talent Development Program), serving as a comparable but larger-scale model for orchestral DEI and education outreach strategy.
- Philadelphia Orchestra: Major U.S. symphony operating on a much larger scale from Verizon Hall, with national touring, recording catalog, and a much higher operating budget. Less comparable in size but operates in the same orchestral category and competes for some shared donor and artist pools.
Emerging players
- American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras: Youth orchestra program in Northern Virginia where former Artistic Director Zimmerman held a similar role. Operates a related mission in the same regional pipeline that the FSO Fellowship and Link Up programs tap for future talent and audience.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Fairfax Symphony social profiles
Digital presenceFairfax Symphony financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Fairfax Symphony leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Fairfax Symphony funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Fairfax Symphony 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 Fairfax Symphony
What does Fairfax Symphony do?
The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) is an 80-member professional symphony orchestra that produces a subscription concert season of classical masterworks and contemporary premieres performed with world-renowned guest soloists at George Mason University Center for the Arts and Capital One Hall. It complements performances with music education programs including the Carnegie Hall Link Up partnership for grades 3-5 and the FSO Fellowship Program for emerging diverse musicians, supported by ticket sales, individual donations, and corporate sponsorships.
Is Fairfax Symphony a public or private company?
Fairfax Symphony is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Fairfax Symphony founded?
Fairfax Symphony was founded in 1957. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Fairfax Symphony based?
Fairfax Symphony is headquartered in Fairfax, United States, in the North America region.
How does Fairfax Symphony make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are individual Donations, corporate Sponsorships and legacy Fund Donations.
Who are Fairfax Symphony's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, National Philharmonic and Richmond Symphony. Broad incumbents are New York Philharmonic, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Philadelphia Orchestra. American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras is listed as an emerging player.
Does Fairfax Symphony have an API?
No public API is recorded for Fairfax Symphony.
What industry is Fairfax Symphony in?
Fairfax Symphony's product category is Performing Arts / Symphony Orchestra Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAHAG, Arranging & Orchestration, with a secondary code of EDAMANAC, Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir). Its NAICS code is 711130.