Boise Music Week

What Boise Music Week does

Boise Music Week is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1919 by Eugene A. Farner in Boise, Idaho, that produces an annual week-long free musical celebration every May. It is recognized as the longest-running free musical celebration in the United States, operating entirely through volunteer labor — approximately 2,000 volunteers contribute more than 35,000 hours annually — with no paid administrative staff. The organization serves the Treasure Valley community, including general audiences, youth musicians and performers, and volunteers, with no admission charged for any event since its founding.

Its core product is a multi-event annual program anchored by a flagship Broadway-style musical production staged at the Velma V. Morrison Center for the Performing Arts (home venue since 1988), featuring local casts of 70+ performers. Recent productions include 'Fiddler on the Roof' (2025), 'Cinderella' (2024), 'State Fair' (2023), 'Into the Woods' (2022), and the upcoming 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying' (2026). The program is complemented by Jazz Night, Dance Night, Music in the Park, Organ Recitals, Community Worship Service, Showcase Concert, Children's Music Series, School Nights, Silent Movie at the Egyptian, and a Youth Musical. The organization has no proprietary technology, no app, no API, and no AI components — its operational backbone is volunteer coordination and venue partnerships with the Morrison Center Endowment Foundation, Boise School District, City of Boise, Boise Public Library, Egyptian Theatre, and First Presbyterian Church.

The business model is donation-funded: Boise Music Week sustains operations entirely through monetary donations from corporations, patrons, and grants, with all funds directed to performance-related services, fees, and publicity. There is no ticket revenue, no commercial product, no funding rounds, no investors, and no parent or subsidiary entities. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and Executive Committee, currently led by President Kent Soelberg (2026). Notable recognitions include the Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts (2018), the Mayor's Award (2018), the Spotlight Award for Excellence in the Arts (2005), and Broadway World Regional Awards for Best Musical, Best Actress, and Best Actor (2019).

Name

Boise Music Week

Legal name

Boise Music Week

Website

https://boisemusicweek.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Boise Music Week is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1919 in Boise, Idaho, that produces an annual free week-long musical celebration each May, featuring Broadway-style productions and supporting events for the Treasure Valley community, sustained entirely by donations and roughly 2,000 volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Performing Arts Events

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Music & Dance Festivals (Non-Commercial/Local) (MPAGAEAH), Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA), Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)

Keywords

• Community musical celebration
• Live theatrical productions
• Nonprofit performing arts
• Annual Broadway musicals
• Volunteer arts organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Boise

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Boise Music Week is a financially lean 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit organization. The organization operates solely on thousands of volunteer hours and generous monetary donations. All funds are used to purchase needed services and pay various fees and expenses directly related to performances and publicity. No administrative costs are covered by donations as all administrative members are volunteers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Boise Music Week produces a free, week-long annual celebration of music each May in Boise, Idaho, featuring a flagship full-scale Broadway musical at the Velma V. Morrison Center for the Performing Arts alongside complementary events including Jazz Night, Dance Night, Organ Recitals, Music in the Park, Community Worship Service, Showcase Concert, Children's Music Series, School Nights, Silent Movie at the Egyptian, and Youth Musical. All events are free of charge and performed by volunteers and local Treasure Valley talent — singers, musicians, dancers, and production personnel — sustained entirely by donations.

Product overview

Boise Music Week is a community non-profit organization that has produced an annual free musical celebration since 1919, making it the longest-running free musical event in the United States. The organization operates as a unified program offering multiple interconnected event types: the flagship Broadway-style musical production staged at the Morrison Center for the Performing Arts, complemented by supporting events including Jazz Night, Dance Night, Music in the Park, Organ Recitals, Community Worship Service, Showcase Concert, Children's Music Series, School Nights, Silent Movie at the Egyptian, and Youth Musical. All events feature local Treasure Valley talent and are provided free of charge to the community, sustained solely through donations and volunteer efforts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Boise Music Week Annual Celebration An umbrella annual week-long free musical celebration held every May in Boise, Idaho since 1919, featuring the full slate of Broadway-style productions, concerts, dance performances, and youth programs; targeted at the general Treasure Valley community and provided at no charge.
• Broadway Musical Productions Full-scale Broadway musical theater productions staged at the Velma V. Morrison Center for the Performing Arts, featuring a local cast of 70+ performers; recent titles include 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying' (2026), 'Fiddler on the Roof' (2025), 'Cinderella' (2024), 'State Fair' (2023), 'Into the Woods' (2022), and 'Thoroughly Modern Millie' (2019).
• Jazz Night An annual jazz performance event held at South Jr. High School Auditorium, featuring local and regional jazz musicians and orchestras including The Switch in Time Jazz Orchestra (a 17-piece big band), with vocal jazz arrangements from the Great American Songbook; free to the public.
• Dance Night An international cultural dance showcase held at Borah High School Auditorium, featuring traditional dance performances from cultures including Mexican folk, Irish, Chinese, and Flamenco by local dance ensembles; free admission.
• Organ Recitals Daily noon-time organ concerts held at First Presbyterian Church during Boise Music Week, featuring professional organists performing classical and religious organ music for the community at no charge.
• Music in the Park An outdoor concert event held at the Gene Harris Bandshell at Julia Davis Park, featuring local concert bands, swing bands, and community musical ensembles; sponsored by the City of Boise and free to the public.
• Community Worship Service An ecumenical worship service held at First Presbyterian Church during Boise Music Week, featuring combined choirs, vocal ensembles, and brass performances from various Treasure Valley religious congregations; free admission.
• Showcase Concert A concert event featuring local musical groups including the Treasure Valley Concert Band and Biotzetik Basque Choir, showcasing community musical talent at South Jr. High School Auditorium; free to the public.
• Children's Music Series Family-friendly music programming at the Boise Public Library's Hillcrest Branch, featuring interactive performances including Music Adventures and Music Carnival with games, crafts, and instrument-making for children.
• School Nights Concerts featuring Boise School District music programs — junior high and high school choirs, bands, and orchestras — held annually at the Morrison Center for the Performing Arts; free to the public.
• Silent Movie at the Egyptian Classic silent film screenings with live theater organ accompaniment at the historic downtown Egyptian Theatre, performed by organist Sean Rogers; free community event during Boise Music Week.
• Youth Musical An annual theatrical production featuring talented teenage singers and dancers; recent featured production is 'Raise Your Voice' (2025), offered as part of the Boise Music Week slate for youth performers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35,000+ volunteer hours contributed annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Morrison Center Endowment FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1988Since 1988, the Morrison Center Endowment Foundation has provided Boise Music Week with access to the Velma V. Morrison Center for the Performing Arts as the primary venue for Broadway musical productions. Harry W. and Velma V. Morrison, founders of the Morrison Knudsen Construction Company, shared a love of music and Broadway theatre and built the performing arts center. The Foundation continues to support BMW's mission by providing this prestigious venue.
• Boise School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoise School District provides venues for School Night events and participates through student ensembles. The district is committed to providing a comprehensive liberal arts education with music as a significant component.
• City of Boise / Boise Parks and RecreationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Boise sponsors Music in the Park events and provides the Gene Harris Band Shell at Julia Davis Park as a venue. The city supports BMW through parks facilities and recognition.
• Boise Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoise Public Library partners with BMW for Children's Music Series events held at the Hillcrest Branch. The library provides venue space and co-organizes programming for children.
• Egyptian TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric downtown Boise venue that hosts Boise Music Week's Silent Movie and Theater Organ concerts, providing the facility and theater organ performance space.
• First Presbyterian ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides venue for Community Worship Service and Noon Organ Recitals during Boise Music Week events. The church has been a long-standing community partner.
• The Switch in Time OrchestraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal 17-piece big band jazz orchestra that performs at Boise Music Week's Jazz Night events, providing musical entertainment and benefiting worthy causes.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Levitt Pavilion (Levitt Foundation): National nonprofit that presents free, family-friendly outdoor concerts through a network of Levitt Pavilion venues across the U.S. Comparable in mission and free-concert model, though operating at a national, multi-venue scale rather than a single city.
• Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts: The only national park dedicated to the performing arts, presenting a season of opera, classical, and popular music with mixed free and ticketed programming. Comparable as a nonprofit performing arts presenter with venue partnerships and education programs.
• Ravinia Festival: One of the oldest and largest outdoor music festivals in North America, presenting a summer season of orchestral, popular, and family programming. Comparable in its multi-week seasonal format and nonprofit community-arts mission, though at significantly larger scale.
• Oregon Shakespeare Festival: A long-running regional repertory theater and performing arts organization in Ashland, Oregon, producing a multi-play season with hundreds of performers. Comparable as a nonprofit regional performing arts producer, though theatrical rather than musical in primary focus.
• Tanglewood (Boston Symphony Orchestra summer season): The summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, presenting a multi-week season of orchestral, chamber, and popular music. Comparable in its annual seasonal music-festival structure and nonprofit operating model, though at a substantially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Grant Park Music Festival: A free summer classical music festival held in Chicago's Millennium Park since 1934, presenting a multi-week season at no cost to attendees. Highly comparable as a free, decades-old, community-funded outdoor music festival reliant on civic and donor support.
• Stern Grove Festival: A free, long-running outdoor summer music festival in San Francisco operating since 1938, presenting a season of concerts with paid performers and volunteer-driven operations. Directly comparable as a free, community-funded, multi-week summer music festival with deep civic roots.
• Music in the Park (San Jose)](https://www.musicintheparksj.org): A free outdoor summer concert series in San Jose, California, presenting a season of free community concerts in municipal parks. Comparable as a free, community-funded outdoor concert series with civic and volunteer support.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/results?search_query=Boise%20Music%20Week
• Facebookfacebook.com/BoiseMusicWeek
• Instagraminstagram.com/boisemusicweek
• Xx.com/BoiseMusicWeek
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/boise-music-week

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Boise Music Week