University Glee Club of New York City

What University Glee Club of New York City does

The University Glee Club of New York City (UGC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit male choral organization founded in 1886 and formally organized in 1894 under a constitution stating its purpose as encouraging male voice singing of the highest excellence for university and college graduates and former students residing in or near New York City. Its roster of 300+ members comprises Active Singing members (tenors and basses with music reading ability and choral experience), Retired Active members, and non-singing Associate members. The Club rehearses weekly on Thursday evenings in the Grand Lodge Room at Masonic Hall (71 West 23rd Street) and presents Members' Concerts each winter and spring at venues including Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, with a repertoire spanning classical works, Broadway musicals, sea chanteys, spirituals, and traditional college songs. Supporting programs include the weekly Afterglow Performance Series, the Black-Tie Gala, Summerfest, Theater Night, and the annual Hambone Quartet Contest.

The UGC operates a community-led go-to-market model, recruiting singers through word-of-mouth and university alumni networks, with auditions held at the start of each season. Associate Membership is structured in three annual dues tiers — Social ($215), Sponsor ($375), and Patron ($515) — granting between four concert tickets and combinations of gala tickets. Additional revenue derives from public concert ticket sales, the Baldwin Chair Endowment Fund (established 2012 to support stipends for professional musicians), and four-tier Concert Support donations ranging from Fans (under $200) to Angel ($600+). Member management and ticketing run on the third-party ChoirGenius platform (ugcofnyc.choirgenius.com); no proprietary technology or AI capabilities are disclosed. Marketing and community outreach run through the ugcofnyc.org website, Instagram, YouTube, and email newsletter.

The Club is governed by a 17-person volunteer Board of Directors led by President Andrew W. Tyson, with the artistic leadership provided since May 2000 by Conductor Francisco J. Núñez — a MacArthur Fellow, 2018 Musical America Educator of the Year, and ASCAP Victor Herbert Award recipient — supported by Accompanist Jon Holden. The organization is private, holds no subsidiaries or external ownership, does not raise institutional funding rounds, and reports no disclosure filings beyond standard nonprofit compliance.

Name

University Glee Club of New York City

Legal name

University Glee Club of New York City

Website

https://ugcofnyc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1894

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The University Glee Club of New York City is a 501(c)(3) male choral nonprofit founded in 1886, serving 300+ university-educated singers and associates through weekly rehearsals, biannual concerts at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, and tiered associate memberships and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Choral Services

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (711130)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAHAB

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

Keywords

• Male choral music
• Glee club performances
• Nonprofit choral society
• Concert productions
• Membership organization

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from Associate Members at various tiers (Social, Sponsor, Patron) providing concert tickets, gala access, and afterglow event attendance.
2. Concert Ticket Sales: Revenue from public concerts held in spring and winter each year, including performances at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.
3. Donations and Endowment: Tax-deductible donations to the nonprofit organization, including the Baldwin Chair Endowment Fund supporting professional musician stipends and Concert Support donations to keep ticket costs accessible.
4. Concert Support Sponsorships: Concert Support donations from patrons at various levels (Angel $600+, Patron $400-$599, Friends $200-$399, Fans under $200) recognized in concert programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The University Glee Club of New York City is a male choral singing organization that performs seasonal concerts at venues including Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, and offers weekly rehearsals, afterglow performances, social events, and a tiered membership program for university and college graduates residing in or near New York City. The Club sustains itself through membership dues, concert ticket sales, and tax-deductible donations, supported by the Baldwin Chair Endowment Fund for professional musicians.

Product overview

The University Glee Club of New York City is a nonprofit male choral organization founded in 1886 offering multiple membership tiers including Active Singing Membership for performing members and three levels of Associate Membership (Patron, Sponsor, and Social) for non-singing supporters. The organization presents two major concerts annually (Winter and Spring) at venues including Lincoln Center, along with weekly Afterglow Performance Series, a Black-Tie Gala, and special events including Summerfest, Theater Night, and the annual Hambone Quartet Contest. The Club also maintains an endowment fund (Baldwin Chair Endowment Fund) and accepts Concert Support donations at various recognition levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Active Singing Membership Membership category for tenors and basses living in the New York City area who have music reading ability and musical or choral experience. Members participate in weekly Thursday evening rehearsals during the fall and spring seasons and perform in the Club's seasonal concerts at venues including Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. Membership is restricted to university or college graduates and former students.
• Associate Membership Non-singing supporter membership offered at three tiers — Patron ($515 annual dues, four concert tickets plus four Black-Tie Gala Afterglow tickets), Sponsor ($375 annual dues, four concert tickets plus two Black-Tie Gala tickets), and Social ($215 annual dues, four concert tickets for Winter and Spring concerts). Includes access to concerts, afterglows, the annual Summerfest, and other Club activities.
• Afterglow Performance Series Weekly 30–40 minute performance series held after Thursday night rehearsals during Fall and Spring seasons at the Grand Lodge Room of Masonic Hall NYC, featuring small collegiate a cappella ensembles, Broadway, Cabaret and Opera artists, and instrumental and dance performances. Open to Active, Associate, and Retired Active members.
• Concert Support Donation Program Tax-deductible donation program supporting the Club's concerts with four recognition levels — Angel ($600+), Patron ($400–$599), Friends ($200–$399), and Fans (under $200) — designed to keep ticket prices accessible while underwriting concert production. Donors are recognized in concert programs.
• Baldwin Chair Endowment Fund Endowment fund established in 2012 providing stipends for the UGC's professional musicians, with Francisco J. Núñez as the first occupant of the Baldwin Chair. Established to honor John Low Baldwin's legacy as UGC conductor from 1961 to 1999.

Named customers3 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

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Princeton Glee Club: Princeton's male choral tradition, sharing UGC's male-voice, university-affiliated, classical and traditional choral mission.
• Cantori New York: NYC-based auditioned choral ensemble presenting multiple concert programs per season, comparable as a performing nonprofit chorus operating in the same NYC arts ecosystem.
• New York Choral Society: NYC-based adult choral society that also awarded UGC's conductor its Choral Excellence Award; structurally similar as a nonprofit presenting major choral concerts in New York.
• MasterVoices: New York choral organization (formerly The Collegiate Chorale) presenting large-scale choral-orchestral works, sharing UGC's NYC nonprofit choral presenting model and major-venue performance approach.
• Yale Glee Club: Yale's premier male choral ensemble, directly comparable as a male collegiate glee club performing classical choral works and tradition-based repertoire at major venues.
• The Harvard Glee Club: Male collegiate choral group affiliated with Harvard University, sharing UGC's male-voice choral tradition, university-graduate membership concept, and classical/Broadway repertoire approach.
• Stonewall Chorale: NYC-based community chorus; comparable as a membership-driven, nonprofit choral organization performing in the New York area.
• Musica Viva NY: New York-based choral ensemble presenting diverse repertoire including contemporary and classical works, comparable to UGC's broad repertoire approach in the same NYC market.

Others

• Young People's Chorus of New York City: Founded and led by UGC's current conductor Francisco J. Núñez; a youth choral organization with shared artistic leadership and similar performance venues, but focused on young singers rather than adult male voices.

Emerging players

• Collegiate Chorale Alumni / The Cecilians: Various emerging NYC choral ensembles operating in adjacent community and repertory choral niches with overlapping but narrower audience overlap.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@universitygleeclubofnewyor3011
• Instagraminstagram.com/ugcofnyc
• Xx.com/ugcofnyc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ugc-of-nyc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 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 University Glee Club of New York City