What Alabama Symphony Orchestra does

The Alabama Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is a 501(c)-equivalent nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 1921 and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. It is the only full-time professional symphony orchestra in the state of Alabama, a position it has held since becoming a professional ensemble in 1982; Alabama is one of only 25 U.S. states with a full-time professional orchestra. ASO operates a 50-musician core ensemble that performs a diversified concert portfolio across subscription series (Masterworks for classical repertoire, SuperPOPS! for popular/Broadway programming, Movies in Concert for live film scores, Coffee Concerts, Concertmaster & Friends chamber series) and special events (Handel's Messiah, New Year's Eve). It also runs the Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra, the Lois Pickard Concerto Competition, and an unpaid internship program. The organization does not operate a technology platform or software product; its 'product' is live performance delivered across multiple Birmingham venues.

ASO generates revenue through four primary streams: ticket sales (single tickets and subscriptions with a 15% discount for 3+ concert bundles under the Create Your Own Experience program), individual donations and philanthropy including legacy giving via the Encore Society and matching gifts, corporate sponsorships, and merchandise (sold via Threadless). Subscription pricing tiers range from roughly $18.70 (Coffee Concerts Level 3) to $82.05 (Star Wars in Concert Level 1). Its go-to-market motion is hybrid: sales-led through subscriptions and group sales, event-driven through its concert calendar, and community-led through education outreach and volunteer programs. Education programs are a major non-revenue-generating pillar, delivering concerts free of charge to schools across 44 Alabama counties; recent reach includes 1,976 students at a single hip-hop education concert and 2,944 students across six Peter and the Wolf performances with Birmingham Children's Theater.

The organization maintains core venue partnerships with UAB's Alys Stephens Center (primary, since 1996), Samford University Wright Center, BJCC Concert Hall, and the historic Carver Theatre (re-engaged in late 2024). ASO employs approximately 70 people (50 musicians, ~20 administrative staff) plus 10-30 substitute/extra musicians hired weekly. Leadership includes VP of Development Anna Newsome, Director of Artistic Administration Clay McCollum, Personnel Manager and Acting Principal Trumpet Nick Ciulla, and Associate Conductor Daniel Cho (promoted in 2025). The organization does not disclose financial figures and has no parent company, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity.

Name

Alabama Symphony Orchestra

Legal name

Alabama Symphony Orchestra

Website

https://alabamasymphony.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Alabama Symphony Orchestra is a nonprofit, full-time professional symphony orchestra founded in 1921 and based in Birmingham, Alabama. It serves Alabama residents through classical and popular concert series, education programs reaching 44 counties, and community outreach, funded via ticket sales, donations, and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Symphony Orchestra Performances

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (711130), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC), Performance Coaching & Competition Preparation (Auditions, Recitals) (EDAMANAL)

Keywords

• Symphony orchestra performances
• Live classical music
• Music education programs
• Concert subscriptions
• Community concerts

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

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: Single tickets and subscriptions for concerts including Masterworks, SuperPOPS!, Movies in Concert, Coffee Concerts, Special Events, and Concertmaster & Friends series
2. Donations and Philanthropy: Individual donations, matching gifts, legacy giving (Encore Society), and patron support
3. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for concerts and programs
4. Merchandise: Online merch store (Threadless)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Alabama Symphony Orchestra is a full-time professional symphony orchestra based in Birmingham, Alabama that produces and performs live orchestral concerts across multiple series (Masterworks, SuperPOPS!, Movies in Concert, Coffee Concerts) and delivers music education programs to schools across 44 Alabama counties. It operates as a nonprofit performing arts organization selling subscriptions, single tickets, and group experiences, supplemented by philanthropic donations, corporate sponsorships, and merchandise sales.

Product overview

The Alabama Symphony Orchestra operates as a single unified performing arts organization centered on its full-time professional symphony orchestra, founded in 1921. The core product is live symphonic concert performances, organized primarily into the Masterworks Series (classical repertoire), SuperPOPS! Series (popular music and Broadway), Movies in Concert Series (film scores performed live), Coffee Concerts (intimate morning performances), and special seasonal events. Supporting programs include the Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra (ASYO) for student musicians, comprehensive Education Programs bringing concerts to schools across Alabama, free Community Concerts including outdoor summer performances, and chamber music through the Concertmaster & Friends series. Additional services include an unpaid internship program across administrative departments and a volunteer program for patron experience. The organization does not offer a technology product, API, or software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Masterworks Series Flagship subscription concert series featuring the full professional orchestra performing classical symphonic repertoire including works by Bernstein, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Brahms, Copland, and Sibelius, with guest soloists and conductors. Targeted at classical music patrons.
• SuperPOPS! Series Concert programs featuring Broadway show tunes, film scores, holiday music, and other non-traditional symphonic repertoire designed to broaden audience reach to casual listeners and popular entertainment seekers.
• Movies in Concert Series Film concerts where the orchestra performs live accompaniment to screenings of feature films, including Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert and Harry Potter scores. Targeted at film fans and family audiences.
• Coffee Concerts Shorter, intimate morning concerts at 11am featuring condensed programs of classical works, offered at reduced ticket prices across three seating levels. Targeted at casual attendees and seniors.
• Concertmaster & Friends Chamber music series featuring ASO concertmaster and ensemble members performing intimate works for smaller string and wind configurations at Samford University's Brock Hall, offered as general admission.
• Free Community Concerts Annual free outdoor and community performances including Symphony in the Summer series at Railroad Park, bringing orchestral music to public venues across Birmingham without ticket requirements. Seven or more free concerts held annually.
• Education Programs School field trip concerts, in-school musician visits, and interactive educational programming bringing orchestral music to students across 44 Alabama counties, including Title 1 schools and underserved communities. Includes the hip-hop education concert series and partnerships with Birmingham Children's Theater.
• Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra (ASYO) Pre-professional training orchestra for young musicians, directed by Associate Conductor Daniel Cho, providing advanced orchestral experience and performance opportunities for student musicians across Alabama.
• Handel's Messiah Annual tradition performing Handel's Messiah oratorio with full chorus and soloists during the holiday season at UAB's Alys Stephens Center. Targeted at choral music and holiday tradition patrons.
• New Year's Eve Concert

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 44 Alabama counties through education programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• UAB's Alys Stephens CentercoreOthersPrimary performance venue partnership for majority of ASO concerts including Masterworks, Coffee Concerts, SuperPOPS!, Special Events, and Movies in Concert series
• Samford University Wright CentermajorOthersPerformance venue for Act of Congress with Symphony concerts and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert
• Carver TheatremajorOthersHistoric venue partnership; ASO began new series of concerts at the recently renovated Carver Theatre in late 2024, with shared history dating back to both institutions' foundations in the 1920s-1930s
• BJCC Concert HallmajorOthersPerformance venue for larger orchestral productions such as Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert
• Birmingham Children's TheatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for educational productions such as Peter and the Wolf, providing combined music and theater experiences for students; over 6 concerts, 2,944 students enjoyed performances
• ArtsReviveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership bringing Selma and Dallas County students to ASO education concerts, expanding reach to underserved communities
• Alabama BalletcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative performances such as Carmina Burana in concert, combining orchestral music with ballet
• Shaheed & DJ SuprememinorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHip-hop artists featured in October 2024 education concert; 1,976 students attended across 37 schools and homeschool groups

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Phoenix Symphony: Full-time regional professional orchestra with subscription, pops and education programming similar to ASO. Operates in a comparably sized Sun Belt metro and offers a useful budget-scale benchmark.
• Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra: Full-time professional regional orchestra with a comparable mix of subscription, education and pops programming. One of the closest US peers in terms of full-time musician count, market size and program scope.
• Charlotte Symphony Orchestra: Full-time professional regional orchestra serving the Carolinas with a comparable subscription-driven model, education programs, and pops/family series. Directly comparable in size and operating structure.
• Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra: Mid-size full-time professional symphony with a long history of subscription programming, education outreach and pops series. Operates at a somewhat larger scale but is highly comparable in structure and audience approach.
• Houston Symphony: Larger full-time professional regional symphony in the South Central US. Comparable operating model and programming diversity, though operating at meaningfully greater scale than ASO.
• Nashville Symphony: Full-time professional regional symphony serving Tennessee with a comparable mix of Masterworks-style subscription series, pops programming and education outreach. Similar institutional profile and budget scale to ASO.
• St. Louis Symphony Orchestra: Historic full-time professional symphony with extensive education programs and subscription series. Comparable in programming breadth and nonprofit operating model, though larger in scale and resources.
• Atlanta Symphony Orchestra: Full-time professional regional symphony in the Southeast US serving the Atlanta metro. Closely comparable in scale, programming mix (classical + pops + movies in concert) and subscription/education model, and the most relevant same-region peer for ASO.
• Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra: Established full-time regional symphony with comparable subscription, education and community engagement programs. Relevant same-tier peer for benchmarking audience-development and education-reach models.

Broad incumbents

• Cleveland Orchestra: Top-tier US symphony and globally recognized brand with substantially larger scale and budget than ASO. Useful as a benchmark for programming depth, recording/streaming reach and the upper bound of what a US regional orchestra can achieve.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ALSymphony
• Facebookfacebook.com/alsymphony

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Alabama Symphony Orchestra