City Lyric Opera
City Lyric Opera is a New York City-based, female-led non-profit opera company that runs an artist-submission-based model to produce accessible, community-focused opera, concerts, family programming, and culturally specific showcases across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, funded by tickets, donations, and sponsorships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What City Lyric Opera does
City Lyric Opera (CLO) is a New York City-based, female-led, non-profit opera company founded in fall 2016 by Megan Gillis and Kathleen Spencer. Over eight completed seasons it has produced 12 fully staged productions and a portfolio of concerts, recitals, family programming, and culturally specific showcases across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. Since the 2023–2024 season, CLO has operated an artist-submission-based repertoire model in which NYC-based artists propose programming and, if selected, receive fiscal sponsorship alongside access to CLO's ticketing, marketing, event, and production resources.
CLO's product portfolio comprises four core lines: fully staged main-stage opera productions (e.g., Verdi's La Traviata, Viardot's Cendrillon, Weill's The Threepenny Opera); intimate salon concerts and recitals (e.g., Awakening, In a Woman's Words, Lifting Voices); public showcases and benefit concerts (e.g., ¡Tumbao!, Where Sunflowers Grow); and educational workshops such as Enchanted Melodies family concerts. Delivery relies on a distributed venue network — Brooklyn Art Haus, Speyer Hall, Madison Avenue Baptist Church, Dimenna Center, The Cell, Steinway Hall, The Blue Gallery, and Christ and St. Stephen's Church — rather than a fixed performance facility, which keeps real estate costs low and extends geographic reach.
The business model is a non-profit, multi-stream structure with three disclosed revenue lines: ticket sales priced at $25–$45 to minimize audience barriers, recurring donations and sponsorships (processed via Network for Good), and advertising placements in event programs and newsletters. Distribution is through the Ticket Tailor self-serve online platform and the company's Squarespace-hosted website, which also serves as the primary marketing channel alongside an email newsletter and social media. The organization maintains institutional memberships with NY Opera Alliance and Opera America, and the headcount sits at 1–10 staff including three director-level roles (Executive, Marketing/Communications, Development) plus a board of directors.
City Lyric Opera firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- City Lyric Opera
- Legal name
- City Lyric Opera
- Website
- https://citylyricopera.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- City Lyric Opera is a New York City-based, female-led non-profit opera company that runs an artist-submission-based model to produce accessible, community-focused opera, concerts, family programming, and culturally specific showcases across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, funded by tickets, donations, and sponsorships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
City Lyric Opera industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Opera and Performing Arts
- NAICS
- Performing Arts Companies (7111), Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)
Keywords
Where City Lyric Opera is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
City Lyric Opera business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from ticket sales for performances and events. Ticket prices typically range between $25-$45 depending on production size and scope.
- Donations and Sponsorships: The organization relies heavily on donor support and sponsorships. The website features a donation page and sponsors are sought for productions.
- Advertising: The organization offers advertising opportunities in programs and newsletters for events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Performance Tickets |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Enchanted Melodies 21+ Concert |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Family Concert Tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Con Fuoco Concert |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Tumbao! Concert at Dimenna Center |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
City Lyric Opera product offering
Product offeringCore offering
City Lyric Opera produces live opera productions and chamber music concerts in New York City, including fully staged main-stage operas (e.g., La Traviata, Cendrillon, The Threepenny Opera), intimate salon concerts and recitals, public showcases, and family educational workshops such as Enchanted Melodies. Since the 2023-2024 season, the company operates an artist-submission-based model where NYC-based artists propose programming and receive fiscal sponsorship, marketing, ticketing, venue, and production support from the organization.
Product overview
City Lyric Opera is a female-led opera company offering a portfolio of live performance products centered on artist-centric programming. The core offerings include fully staged main-stage opera productions (such as La Traviata, Cendrillon, and The Threepenny Opera), intimate salon concerts and recitals, public showcases, and educational workshops. Since the 2023-2024 season, CLO has operated an artist-submission-based model where NYC-based artists propose repertoire for production, receiving fiscal sponsorship, marketing, ticketing, and production support. The company also offers family programming (Enchanted Melodies) and culturally-specific productions (¡Tumbao!, Con Fuoco, pepeha) that celebrate diverse musical traditions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Hundreds of local artists provided paid performance opportunities
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use City Lyric Opera
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
City Lyric Opera technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
City Lyric Opera partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.
- NY Opera AlliancecoreCity Lyric Opera is a member of the NY Opera Alliance, an organization supporting opera companies in the New York area. Membership provides network benefits and industry recognition.
- Opera AmericacoreCity Lyric Opera holds membership with Opera America, the national service organization for opera, providing resources and professional development opportunities.
- Madison Avenue Baptist ChurchcoreCollaborative venue partner hosting CLO performances including Con Fuoco Latin-American music concert. The partnership enables community-based programming at accessible venues.
- The Afro-Latinx Song & Opera ProjectcoreCo-producing partner for ¡Tumbao! A Celebration of Afro-Latin Music, CLO's 9th season opening collaboration showcasing traditional Afro-Cuban and Afro-Dominican music.
- Music at Co-Cath (MACC)coreCo-production partner for Benjamin Britten's Five Canticles performance at The Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph's, featuring multidisciplinary collaboration with dance and visual arts.
- Brooklyn Art HaussecondaryBrooklyn venue hosting pepeha performance, expanding CLO's geographic reach in Brooklyn.
- The Dimenna Center for Classical MusicsecondaryVenue partner hosting ¡Tumbao! performance at Norman S. Benzaquen Hall, providing professional classical music venue.
- The Cell / The Cell TheatresecondaryVenue partner hosting Awakening performances, a staged collaborative song recital.
- Speyer HallsecondaryVenue partner hosting PIERROT performances.
- Steinway HallsecondaryVenue partner hosting In a Woman's Words solo recital.
- The Blue GallerysecondaryVenue partner hosting performances including The Languages of Love and The Garden of Alice.
- Christ and St. Stephen's ChurchsecondaryVenue host for Where Sunflowers Grow benefit concert supporting Ukraine humanitarian relief.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
City Lyric Opera competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- New York City Opera: Historic NYC opera company with a broader portfolio and larger production scale. Competes for the same NYC audience pool and donor dollars but operates at significantly greater scale than CLO.
- Metropolitan Opera: The preeminent NYC opera institution and a major anchor in the local opera ecosystem. While serving a different price point and audience, it shapes overall donor and audience attention to opera in NYC.
Direct peers
- On Site Opera: New York opera company performing in non-traditional venues and intimate spaces, closely matching CLO's venue-agnostic, accessibility-focused approach. Similar small-team production model.
- Bronx Opera: Long-running NYC community opera company producing accessible, English-language productions across multiple boroughs. Comparable mission of broadening opera audiences in NYC.
- Regina Opera Company: Brooklyn-based community opera company producing traditional and accessible opera for local audiences. Similar small-scale, community-anchored operating model.
- LoftOpera: NYC indie opera company presenting productions in unconventional spaces with a focus on affordability and emerging artists. Comparable in scale and audience-development philosophy.
- Heartbeat Opera: NYC-based small opera company with a similar mission of making opera accessible and engaging new audiences through contemporary, socially relevant productions. Operates on a comparable scale with a focus on community and accessibility.
Others
- Opera America: National service organization for opera of which CLO is a member. Provides industry resources, networking, and grant pipelines that materially support small opera companies like CLO.
Emerging players
- Heartbeat Ensemble / The Afro-Latinx Song & Opera Project: Co-producing partner for CLO's ¡Tumbao! production. Represents a category of culturally-specific small opera ventures that intersect with CLO's diverse programming mission.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
City Lyric Opera social profiles
Digital presenceCity Lyric Opera financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
City Lyric Opera leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
City Lyric Opera funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
City Lyric Opera 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 City Lyric Opera
What does City Lyric Opera do?
City Lyric Opera produces live opera productions and chamber music concerts in New York City, including fully staged main-stage operas (e.g., La Traviata, Cendrillon, The Threepenny Opera), intimate salon concerts and recitals, public showcases, and family educational workshops such as Enchanted Melodies. Since the 2023-2024 season, the company operates an artist-submission-based model where NYC-based artists propose programming and receive fiscal sponsorship, marketing, ticketing, venue, and production support from the organization.
Is City Lyric Opera a public or private company?
City Lyric Opera is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was City Lyric Opera founded?
City Lyric Opera was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is City Lyric Opera based?
City Lyric Opera is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does City Lyric Opera make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are donations and Sponsorships and advertising.
Who are City Lyric Opera's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are New York City Opera and Metropolitan Opera. Direct peers are On Site Opera, Bronx Opera, Regina Opera Company, LoftOpera and Heartbeat Opera. Opera America is listed as an others. Heartbeat Ensemble / The Afro-Latinx Song & Opera Project is listed as an emerging player.
Does City Lyric Opera have an API?
No public API is recorded for City Lyric Opera.
What industry is City Lyric Opera in?
City Lyric Opera's product category is Opera and Performing Arts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAB, Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music). Its NAICS code is 7111 and its SIC code is 7900.