Mostly Modern Festival

What Mostly Modern Festival does

Mostly Modern Festival (MMF), a division of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Mostly Modern Projects Inc. (EIN 20-3563472), is an annual contemporary and modern classical music festival headquartered in Saratoga Springs, New York. Founded around 2019 and currently in its 7th season (2026), the organization is co-led by Artistic Director Robert Paterson (composer) and Executive Director Victoria Paterson (violinist) and operates its public concerts and three-week educational Institute primarily out of Skidmore College's Arthur Zankel Music Center. It maintains a parallel Mostly Modern Festival (NL) in the Netherlands, plus resident ensembles American Modern Ensemble and FAB5, a record label (American Modern Recordings), and a Modern Vocal Projects program.

The festival's core offering is a June concert season built around the resident Mostly Modern Orchestra and Mostly Modern Ensemble, featuring world premieres of works by living composers, chamber music, guest ensemble performances, and a concerto competition with fellowship awards. The MMF Institute is the educational counterpart: a residential program for instrumentalists, composers, conductors, and vocalists, including private lessons, masterclasses, composition readings, professional audio/video recordings, and career-development seminars. Ticketing flows through Viewcy.com for the public season and through Acceptd for Institute applications.

Revenue is generated through three streams: concert ticket sales ($13-$24 general admission, kids under 12 half price, VIP Season Pass), Institute tuition and competition-based Fellowship Awards, and donations and grants from patrons and institutional funders including the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Maurice Armado Foundation, and Adirondack Trust Company. Go-to-market is event-driven and regional (Northeast USA), supported by Skidmore College as host venue, a flagship three-year collaboration with Albany Pro Musica, and a recurring partnership with Caffè Lena (sold-out kickoff concerts for three consecutive years). Marketing relies on organic social (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), an email newsletter, and event/calendar listings. The organization has no venture capital, private equity, or external institutional investment and discloses no revenue figures.

Name

Mostly Modern Festival

Legal name

Mostly Modern Projects Inc.

Website

https://mostlymodernfestival.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Mostly Modern Festival is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit contemporary classical music festival in Saratoga Springs, NY, serving emerging composers, performers, and classical music audiences through a summer concert season and a three-week residential educational Institute at Skidmore College.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Festival

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Fine Arts Schools (611610)

akta.pro primary industry

Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Music Camps (Band, Choir, Instrument Intensive) (EDAMALAJ), Training, Workshops & Certification Events (MPAGAGAJ)

Keywords

• Contemporary classical music
• Music festival programming
• Music education programs
• Professional orchestral concerts
• Nonprofit performing arts

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Public concerts and performances sold to general audiences; season passes and individual concert tickets available
2. Institute Tuition: Educational programs for composers, performers, and conductors with associated tuition and fees
3. Donations and Grants: 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization supported by patrons, grants, and foundations including NYSCA, NEA, and private donors

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Mostly Modern Festival operates an annual summer contemporary-classical music festival featuring orchestral concerts, chamber performances, and world premieres by living composers, hosted primarily at Skidmore College's Arthur Zankel Music Center in Saratoga Springs, New York. It also runs the MMF Institute, a three-week residential educational program providing lessons, masterclasses, rehearsals, and performance opportunities for instrumentalists, composers, conductors, and vocalists. Festival programming, institute tuition, and a concerto competition with fellowship awards constitute the core offerings, delivered by resident ensembles including the Mostly Modern Orchestra, Mostly Modern Ensemble, American Modern Ensemble, and FAB5.

Product overview

Mostly Modern Festival is a music festival organization that operates as a single, unified program rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The festival offers seasonal concert programming featuring the Mostly Modern Orchestra, Mostly Modern Ensemble, and guest ensembles, as well as an educational Institute component that provides programs for instrumentalists, composers, conductors, and vocalists through masterclasses, lessons, rehearsals, and performance opportunities. The festival's core offerings include public concerts, the Institute (educational programs), and a Concerto Competition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MMF Institute: Educational program for music students offering composition, conducting, and performance training during the festival
• Mostly Modern Orchestra
• Mostly Modern Ensemble
• FAB5
• Concerto Competition

Products and services

• Mostly Modern Festival Concerts

Quantifiable outcome

• 7 seasons completed with sold-out kickoff concerts (Caffè Lena sold out for 3 consecutive years)

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• Stewarts ShopsminorOthersLogo partner listed on festival website; likely provides sponsorship support
• Skidmore CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution providing venues (Arthur Zankel Music Center, Ladd Hall, residence halls, dining facilities) and campus resources for festival operations
• Albany Pro MusicaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-year collaboration partnership for joint choral/orchestral performances; Maestro José Daniel Flores-Caraballo conducts combined performances with Mostly Modern Orchestra
• Caffè LenacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric Saratoga Springs venue hosting sold-out kickoff concerts for the festival for 3 consecutive years
• Mostly Modern Projects Inc.coreOthersParent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization; parent entity for MMF USA, MMF Netherlands, American Modern Ensemble, American Modern Recordings, and FAB5 programs

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mizzou International Composers Festival: Resident ensemble—based festival that pairs emerging composers with professional musicians for readings and performances — closely mirrors MMF's composer readings and premiere-driven model.
• Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music: Annual summer festival dedicated exclusively to contemporary classical music with orchestral premieres and a conductor-in-residence model — directly overlaps with Mostly Modern Festival's focus on living composers and world premieres.
• Marlboro Music Festival: Invitation-only summer chamber music festival pairing senior mentors with younger musicians — comparable in intensive residential format and faculty-student collaboration model.
• Ojai Music Festival: Long-running, single-weekend California festival built around a rotating artistic director and new music programming — comparable in curatorial focus on contemporary works and director-led identity.
• Bowdoin International Music Festival: Multi-week summer chamber music festival with student-in-residence program and faculty performances — directly comparable in combining student training with professional concert programming.
• Yellow Barn Music Festival: Summer chamber music festival in Vermont with artist residencies and concert programming — comparable in small-scale, immersive summer format and contemporary-chamber focus.

Broad incumbents

• Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity: Year-round residency institution with intensive music programs including contemporary performance and composition — comparable in institute-style intensive training and international faculty.
• Tanglewood Music Festival (BSO): Premier US summer classical music festival affiliated with the Boston Symphony Orchestra — comparable in seasonal orchestral programming and institute model, but significantly larger and more established.
• Aspen Music Festival and School: Large, established multi-week summer festival with substantial educational institute component — comparable in combining orchestral performance with training, but at a much larger scale and broader classical focus.

Regional players

• Heidelberger Frühling (Heidelberg Spring Festival): Major German contemporary-classical festival with international guest ensembles and academy programs — comparable in contemporary focus and educational component, but operating in Europe rather than North America.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/MostlyModernProjectsOfficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/mostlymodernfestival
• Instagraminstagram.com/mostlymodernfestival
• Xx.com/mostlymodfest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Mostly Modern Festival