Ricordi

What Ricordi does

Ricordi is a classical music publishing company founded in 1808 by Giovanni Ricordi in Milan and currently operated as a brand within Universal Music Publishing Classics & Screen, the publishing arm of Universal Music Group. The company holds a heritage catalogue representing more than 1,900 composers — including Puccini, Verdi, Bartók, Debussy, Ravel, and contemporary figures such as Pascal Dusapin, György Kurtág, and Silvia Colasanti — and runs five offices across Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and Hungary. Its product portfolio centers on Critical Editions (scholarly, musicologically rigorous publications produced with institutions such as Fondazione Rossini, the University of Chicago Press, Istituto Vivaldi, and Fondazione Donizetti), a searchable digital catalogue, themed Collections & Series (OperaLite, Disposizioni sceniche, Luigi Nono Works, Drammaturgia Musicale Veneta), and the Ricordilab emerging-composer development program. Distribution is channel-partner based: Zinfonia handles rental of large-scale works (more than five instruments or works with electronic elements) globally, while Hal Leonard and Music Shop Europe handle retail sales of smaller-scale works in the Americas and the rest of the world respectively. Critical-edition subscriptions and hardcover volumes are sold via Hal Leonard Europe. Ricordi's go-to-market is essentially partnership-driven B2B, with revenue generated from score and parts rental, score sales, critical-edition subscription publishing, and the commissioning and premiering of new works through institutional partnerships with opera houses and orchestras.

Name

Ricordi

Legal name

Universal Music Publishing International Limited

Website

https://ricordi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1808

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ricordi is a heritage classical music publishing house founded in 1808, representing 1,900+ composers worldwide, and is part of Universal Music Publishing Classics & Screen. It publishes critical editions, scores, and opera materials for orchestras, opera houses, and musicians.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Publishing

NAICS

Music Publishers (512230), Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Print Music Publishing (Sheet Music, Scores, Educational Repertoire) (MPAIABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Publishing Administration (Catalog Admin, Global Subpublishing) (MPAIABAB), Custom Music & Original Score/Composition (MPAIALAD), Sheet Music & Music Books Retail (CRALAEAB)

Keywords

• Classical music publishing
• Critical editions
• Opera scores
• Orchestral score rental
• Music rights licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Milano

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Music Sales: Sale of printed music scores and performance materials for works with fewer than 5 instruments. Distributed through Hal Leonard for Americas and Music Shop Europe for rest of world.
2. Music Hire/Rental: Rental of orchestral scores and parts for large-scale works (more than 5 instruments) or works with electronic elements. Fulfilled through partner Zinfonia.
3. Critical Editions Subscriptions: Subscription sales of critical edition series including hardcover volumes with critical commentary and piano vocal scores. Distributed globally through Hal Leonard Europe.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ricordi is a classical music publishing house that manages the rights and produces scholarly printed editions of orchestral and operatic works for over 1,900 composers, including Verdi, Puccini, Bartók, Debussy, Ravel, and Kurtág. It generates revenue by selling smaller-scale scores (fewer than 5 instruments) through Hal Leonard and Music Shop Europe and by renting larger-scale scores (5+ instruments or electronic works) through Zinfonia, alongside subscription-based critical edition series co-published with academic institutions.

Product overview

Ricordi is a classical music publishing company and part of Universal Music Publishing Classics & Screen. Its product portfolio centers on Critical Editions – prestigious scholarly/complete editions of classical operas and works by composers including Verdi, Donizetti, Puccini, Bellini, Rossini, and others. The company offers a Digital Catalogue for searching and accessing works available for purchase or hire. Collections & Series encompasses themed sub-brands including OperaLite (reduced orchestration for small companies), Disposizioni sceniche (opera production books), and Luigi Nono Works. Ricordilab is a composer support program. Music distribution is handled through business partners: Zinfonia for hiring large-scale works and Hal Leonard/Music Shop Europe for purchasing smaller works.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ricordilab: An international programme by Ricordi Berlin supporting emerging composers through three-year collaborations providing international visibility, performance opportunities, and individual guidance.

Products and services

• Critical Editions Scholarly critical editions of classical operas and orchestral works created in collaboration with musicologists and institutions (Fondazione Rossini, University of Chicago Press, Istituto Vivaldi, Musica Gallica, Simon Mayr Gesellschaft). Scores are faithful to original sources, prepared with rigorous editorial scrutiny and critical commentary, sold and rented to orchestras, opera houses, musicians, and scholars.
• Digital Catalogue Online searchable catalogue of Ricordi's musical works available for purchase or hire, including digital downloads, critical editions, collections, and series, accessible to orchestras, musicians, and educators globally.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Basel SinfoniettaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Associated partner for Ricordilab 2025-28, supporting emerging composers Zara Ali, Jasper Dommett, and Anda Kryeziu with performance opportunities.
• Bayerische StaatsoperminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Associated partner for Ricordilab 2025-28, supporting emerging composers with performance opportunities and industry guidance.
• Brussels PhilharmonicminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Associated partner for Ricordilab 2025-28, providing international visibility and performance opportunities for emerging composers.
• Camerata SalzburgminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Associated partner for Ricordilab 2025-28 supporting emerging composer development.
• Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester BerlinminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Associated partner for Ricordilab 2025-28 supporting emerging composers with performance opportunities.
• Ensemble MosaikminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Associated partner for Ricordilab 2025-28, contributing to emerging composer support network.
• Orchestra della Svizzera ItalianaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Associated partner for Ricordilab 2025-28 supporting emerging composer international visibility.
• Orchestre National d'AuvergneminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Associated partner for Ricordilab 2025-28 providing performance opportunities for emerging composers.
• Theater Orchester Biel SolothurnminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Associated partner for Ricordilab 2025-28 supporting emerging composer development and career guidance.
• ZinfoniacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for music for hire orders. Works with more than 5 instruments or featuring electronic elements are available exclusively through Zinfonia for rental.
• Hal LeonardcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary distribution partner for music for sale (works with fewer than 5 instruments) in North and South America.
• Music Shop EuropecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary distribution partner for music for sale in Europe and rest of world outside the Americas.
• Fondazione RossinicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with critical editions program, particularly for Rossini and Donizetti scholarly publications.
• University of Chicago PresscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-publishes Verdi critical editions with Ricordi, ensuring academic rigor and global distribution.
• Istituto Vivaldi (Fondazione Cini)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on Vivaldi critical editions and Drammaturgia Musicale Veneta series.
• Fondazione DonizetticoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with Donizetti Critical Edition project, contributing to scholarly research and publication.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Hal Leonard: The world's largest print-music publisher and Ricordi's core Americas and rest-of-world sale distribution partner. Operates a much broader portfolio (popular, educational, print-on-demand) than Ricordi but is the dominant counterpart in the channel that determines Ricordi's sale economics.

Direct peers

• Boosey & Hawkes: Long-standing classical music publisher founded 1816, representing major 20th-century composers (Stravinsky, Britten, Copland, Prokofiev, Bartók partial) and operating a critical-editions program. Directly comparable to Ricordi in catalogue scope, hire/sale distribution model and institutional customer base of orchestras and opera houses.
• Edition Durand-Salabert-Eschig: A leading French classical music publisher (Durand, Salabert, Eschig imprints) and a sibling UMPG Classics & Screen brand alongside Ricordi. Overlaps with Ricordi on contemporary French composer commissions, opera and orchestral rental, and Continental European institutional customers.
• Universal Edition (Vienna): Austrian classical and contemporary music publisher known for its 20th-century catalogue (Schoenberg, Berg, Webern, Bartók estate in part) and active commissioning of new works. Comparable to Ricordi in modern-classical repertoire depth and orchestra/opera customer overlap.
• G. Schirmer: US-based classical music publisher (now part of a major music conglomerate) with a deep rental library of orchestral scores. Directly competes with Ricordi for North American orchestra hire business and shares the same institutional customer base of conductors and orchestras.
• Breitkopf & Härtel: One of the oldest music publishers in the world (founded 1712), with a major critical-editions program and a classic composer catalogue that includes Beethoven, Brahms and Liszt. Overlaps with Ricordi in opera and orchestral critical editions, hire/rental, and Continental European institutional customers.
• Bärenreiter: German scholarly music publisher renowned for its critical editions (Bach, Mozart, Handel, Schubert) and active contemporary composer roster. Operates in the same premium scholarly segment as Ricordi's Critical Editions and competes for the same institutional hire and sale customers.
• Chester Music: London-based classical and contemporary music publisher (part of the larger Anglo-American publisher group), with a contemporary composer roster that overlaps Ricordi's commissioning activity and shares the same orchestra/opera customer base.
• Edition Peters: Classical music publisher with a strong performance-score catalogue and contemporary composer roster, headquartered in London with German roots. Directly comparable to Ricordi in repertoire, rental/sale distribution model and conductor/orchestra customer base.
• Schott Music: Mainz-based music publisher with a broad classical, contemporary and educational catalogue, including major composers (Strauss, Orff) and a strong rental library. Directly competes with Ricordi in Continental European opera and orchestral hire and in contemporary composer signings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Casa_Ricordi
• Facebookfacebook.com/ricordi.ump
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/universal-music-publishing-ricordi-s.r.l.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Ricordi