Eighth Blackbird
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
Eighth Blackbird firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Eighth Blackbird
- Legal name
- Eighth Blackbird
- Website
- https://eighthblackbird.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Eighth Blackbird is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Eighth Blackbird business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Concert Performance Fees: Revenue from performing at venues, universities, festivals, and orchestras across the U.S. and internationally. The ensemble collaborates with orchestras and wind ensembles on commissioned works.
- Album and Merchandise Sales: Sale of studio albums through the online shop, including releases like 'Composition as Explanation', 'Filament', 'When We Are Inhuman', 'Hand Eye', and merchandise such as tote bags and apparel.
- Donations and Grants: The Aviary donor program with tiered giving levels (Phoenix $25,000+, Falcon $10,000-24,999, Ibis $5,000-9,999, Kingfisher $2,500-4,999, Blackbird $1,000-2,499, Goldfinch $250-499, Cardinal $500-999, Starling $100-249, Hummingbird up to $99, Hatchling up to $49). Foundation grants from NEA, MacArthur Foundation, and others.
- Chicago Artists Workshop Tickets: CAW presents performances by guest artists with ticket sales, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | 8BB Monogram Tote Bag |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Classic Logo Cap |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Blackbird Creative Lab Ticket + Donation Tiers |
| Subscription | Annual | The Aviary Donor Program Tiers |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Eighth Blackbird product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Eighth Blackbird is a six-member contemporary chamber music ensemble that performs innovative classical music, commissions and premieres new works from living composers, produces theatrical chamber music productions under its Blackbird Productions arm, presents cross-genre performances through the Chicago Artists Workshop, and runs the Blackbird Creative Lab professional development program. It also sells studio albums, branded merchandise, and operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by donations and grants.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Blackbird Creative Lab: An inclusive two-week professional development immersion for performers and composers, and an ongoing community of practice for contemporary classical musicians and composers
- Chicago Artists Workshop (CAW)
- 8BB
Products and services
- The Sextet Concert Performances Live concert performances by a six-member contemporary chamber music ensemble featuring new works, commissioned pieces, and theatrical chamber music presentations, presented for institutional presenters, festivals, universities, and general audiences.
- Blackbird Productions A production arm offering performances, collaborations, productions, and curations including theatrical chamber music productions that combine music with staging, lighting, and narrative.
- Chicago Artists Workshop (CAW) A cross-genre presenting series featuring free and ticketed streamed performances, interviews, and audience Q&A with artists from multiple disciplines, presented from the ensemble's Chicago studio.
- Blackbird Creative Lab A training and professional development program for early-career composers and musicians, providing skills-based sessions, performance opportunities, and ongoing collaboration with Eighth Blackbird.
- Studio Album Releases Studio albums of contemporary chamber music released on labels including Cedille Records, available for purchase as CDs and digital downloads, including titles such as Composition as Explanation, Filament, When We Are Inhuman, Singing in the Dead of Night, and Hand Eye.
- Eighth Blackbird Merchandise Branded merchandise sold through the organization's online shop, including tote bags, caps, apparel, and other items for supporters and fans.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4 Grammy Awards for Best Small Ensemble/Chamber Music Performance
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Eighth Blackbird
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Eighth Blackbird technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Eighth Blackbird partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Museum of Contemporary Art ChicagocoreLong-term institutional partnership with MCA Chicago for performances and curatorial collaborations.
- Northwestern UniversitycoreLong-term partnership for performances, educational events, and composer Jonathan Bailey Holland serves as Dean of the Bienen School of Music.
- Yerkes Observatory / Yerkes Future FoundationcoreHost venue for Blackbird Creative Lab, combining music and science through residencies in the Great Refractor Dome.
- Athenaeum Center for Thought and CulturecoreChicago venue hosting ACTC Artists-in-Residence programming featuring Eighth Blackbird performances.
- The Curtis Institute of MusicmajorLong-term institutional partnership for educational programming.
- The Interlochen Center for the ArtsmajorPartnership for educational programming and student mentorship.
- The University of CincinnatimajorCommission and premiere partnership including Nine Mothers concerto.
- U.S. Navy BandmajorCommissioned Viet Cuong's Vital Sines concerto for Eighth Blackbird and U.S. Navy Band.
- Elemental MusicminorYouth music program partnered with Eighth Blackbird to commission six new works by composers including Wenbin Lyu.
- The Ojai Music FestivalminorLong-term institutional partnership for festival performances.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Eighth Blackbird competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Brooklyn Rider: String quartet that combines classical repertoire with cross-genre collaborations and commissions from living composers. Direct peer in the contemporary chamber ensemble space with similar touring and commissioning model.
- Kronos Quartet: Four-person contemporary chamber ensemble with five-decade track record, thousands of commissioned works, and global touring. Closest comparable as a Grammy-winning contemporary string quartet that pioneered cross-genre collaborations and built an institutional nonprofit model.
- yMusic: Six-member contemporary chamber ensemble working at the intersection of classical and indie/rock music. Strongly comparable in size (six musicians), genre-crossing mandate, and NYC-based nonprofit operations.
- Bang on a Can All-Stars: Variable-ensemble contemporary music group with similar commissioning-first ethos, multi-genre programming, and educational outreach (Bang on a Can Summer Festival). Highly comparable in mission and operating model.
- Roomful of Teeth: GRAMMY-winning vocal ensemble specializing in new music, with a vocal-studies program at Williams College. Highly comparable as a Grammy-winning contemporary ensemble with embedded educational programming.
- International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE): Variable-geometry contemporary music ensemble focused on commissioning and premiering new works, with strong educational programs (Ensemble Evolution, OpenICE). Direct peer in the new-music sextet/ensemble category.
- Silkroad Ensemble: Grammy-winning ensemble founded by Yo-Yo Ma that performs cross-cultural contemporary music with educational and residency programming. Comparable in cross-genre mission, Grammy pedigree, and nonprofit performing-arts operating model.
- Alarm Will Sound: 20-member contemporary chamber ensemble known for cross-genre repertoire and innovative recording projects. Comparable size and similar nonprofit performing-arts model with commissioning focus.
- Imani Winds: Grammy-nominated wind quintet focused on commissioning works by underrepresented composers, with educational programming. Comparable as a small wind/chamber ensemble with commissioning-first mandate.
Broad incumbents
- Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center: Established institutional presenter of chamber music at Lincoln Center with larger roster and broader repertoire. Comparable in the chamber-music nonprofit space but operates at much greater scale and with traditional repertoire emphasis.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Eighth Blackbird social profiles
Digital presenceEighth Blackbird financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Eighth Blackbird leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Eighth Blackbird subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Eighth Blackbird funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Eighth Blackbird M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Eighth Blackbird
What does Eighth Blackbird do?
Eighth Blackbird is a six-member contemporary chamber music ensemble that performs innovative classical music, commissions and premieres new works from living composers, produces theatrical chamber music productions under its Blackbird Productions arm, presents cross-genre performances through the Chicago Artists Workshop, and runs the Blackbird Creative Lab professional development program. It also sells studio albums, branded merchandise, and operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by donations and grants.
Is Eighth Blackbird a public or private company?
Eighth Blackbird is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Eighth Blackbird founded?
Eighth Blackbird was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Eighth Blackbird based?
Eighth Blackbird is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Eighth Blackbird make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Concert Performance Fees are the primary driver. The others are album and Merchandise Sales, donations and Grants and chicago Artists Workshop Tickets.
Who are Eighth Blackbird's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Brooklyn Rider, Kronos Quartet, yMusic, Bang on a Can All-Stars, Roomful of Teeth, International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), Silkroad Ensemble, Alarm Will Sound and Imani Winds. Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Eighth Blackbird have an API?
No public API is recorded for Eighth Blackbird.