Anima - Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus

What Anima - Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus does

Anima - Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth choral organization founded in 1964 in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, serving children from kindergarten through 12th grade in the DuPage County and Chicago suburban corridor. The organization operates six distinct ensemble tiers: KidSingers (kindergarten), Prep Chorus (1st-3rd grade), Treble Chorus (3rd-5th grade), Concert Chorus (5th-12th grade), Touring Chorus (7th-12th grade), and Solo Spotlight (3rd-12th master class). Core programming emphasizes solfège, sight-singing, music theory, and vocal technique development, with Touring Chorus participants engaging in national and international performances across six continents.

The organization delivers choral education through in-person weekly rehearsals at regional venues, in-person voice placement hearings with the Artistic Director, and live performances with premier Chicago arts institutions including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (since 1969), Lyric Opera of Chicago, Ravinia Festival, and Grant Park Music Festival. Technology is limited to the Choir Genius platform for registration, scheduling, and family communication; no proprietary software or AI capabilities are present. The artistic leadership pipeline includes Dr. Doreen Rao (Artistic Director Emerita, 1972-1988, first children's chorus to receive NEA funding), Emily Ellsworth (Artistic Director Emerita, 1996-2018, Margaret Hillis Award recipient), and current Artistic Director Evan Bruno (appointed 2022).

Anima generates revenue through four streams: tuition and program fees ($275-$1,750 per program plus $30-$60 registration fees), individual tax-deductible donations, corporate sponsorships ($100-$10,000 tiers), and concert ticket sales. Tuition covers only a portion of total costs, with the remainder funded by institutional grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Illinois Arts Council, MacArthur Foundation, McCormick Foundation, DuPage Foundation, and Motorola Solutions. The organization is governed by a community-based Board of Directors and maintains an alumni network spanning six decades that serves as the primary referral channel for new enrollment.

Name

Anima - Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus

Legal name

Anima - Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus

Website

https://anima-singers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Anima - Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth choral organization founded in 1964 in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, operating six ensemble tiers from kindergarten through 12th grade in the Chicago western suburbs, with signature performances alongside the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and international touring.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Music Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Educational Services (611)

akta.pro primary industry

Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Childhood Music Education (Ages 0–7) (EDAMANAD), Performing Arts Programs (Band, Choir, Orchestra, Theater) (EDAJAJAE)

Keywords

• Youth choral education
• Children's choir programs
• Music education services
• Vocal training programs
• Community choral arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Glen Ellyn

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. Tuition and Program Fees: Annual tuition and session fees for chorus programs ranging from $275-$1750 per program plus registration fees. Covers core choral education programs for kindergarten through high school.
2. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals supporting world-class choral education for area youth.
3. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships at various levels ($100-$10,000) providing marketing benefits and recognition.
4. Concert Tickets: Ticket sales for performances and spring concerts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Anima - Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus provides tiered choral education programs for children from kindergarten through 12th grade, including entry-level, intermediate, and advanced ensembles culminating in a touring chorus. The organization delivers weekly vocal training, public concert performances, and concert tours led by professional conductors and supported by tuition, donations, and sponsorships.

Product overview

Anima - Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus is a nonprofit youth choral organization offering a tiered program of choral ensembles and specialty classes for children from kindergarten through 12th grade. The organization operates six distinct programs: KidSingers (kindergarten), Prep Chorus (1st-3rd grade), Treble Chorus (3rd-5th grade), Concert Chorus (5th-12th grade), Touring Chorus (7th-12th grade), and Solo Spotlight (3rd-12th grade). Programs progress from introductory music fundamentals to advanced world-class chorus experiences with international touring opportunities, all focused on developing vocal skills, musicianship, and personal excellence through choral singing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KidSingers Introductory choral program for children in the earliest grade levels, providing foundational vocal training and group singing experience.
• Prep Chorus Preparatory choral ensemble that continues vocal skill development following KidSingers and prepares singers for higher-level ensembles.
• Treble Chorus Intermediate treble-voice choral ensemble providing more advanced vocal training and concert performance opportunities for developing singers.
• Concert Chorus Advanced choral ensemble for experienced singers performing at an elevated level of musical and performance difficulty.
• Touring Chorus Elite touring chorus representing the highest performance tier, with national and international concert tours serving as the capstone choral experience in the program.
• Solo Spotlight Program focused on solo vocal performance training and showcase opportunities for individual singers seeking to develop beyond ensemble singing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children who participate in choir have higher self-confidence, get better grades, and exhibit creativity and strong self-esteem

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chicago Symphony OrchestracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaborative partnership; first performed together in 1969. Anima singers participate in performances with the CSO, providing world-class performance experience for choristers.
• Lyric Opera of ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular collaborative performances with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Anima prepared various ensembles under Emily Ellsworth's direction for Lyric Opera performances.
• Ravinia FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual summer festival performances at Ravinia, one of the world's premier music festivals.
• Grant Park Music FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular summer performances with the Grant Park Symphony and music festival.
• Aurora UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpring Concert venue partner; Anima's 61st Season Spring Concert held at Crimi Auditorium at Aurora University.
• St. Mark's Episcopal ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformance venue partner for Solo Showcase and recital events in Glen Ellyn.
• Trinity Episcopal Church (Wheaton)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformance venue partner; Anima performed at Trinity's 150th anniversary Celebration of Light event.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Toronto Children's Chorus: Canadian youth choral organization with tiered ensembles and international touring reputation. Notable connection: Dr. Doreen Rao (Anima's foundational Artistic Director) holds University of Toronto's Elmer Iseler Chair in Conducting Emeritus, indicating deep cross-border ties.
• Indianapolis Children's Choir: Midwest-based youth choral organization offering tiered ensembles for elementary through high school singers. Comparable in scale, regional focus, and tiered curriculum to Anima.
• Los Angeles Children's Chorus: Premier LA-based youth choral organization with tiered ensemble programming and high-profile performance partnerships. Comparable in artistic caliber and audition-based admission to Anima.
• Seattle Children's Chorus: Pacific Northwest youth choral organization with tiered ensemble programming and performance partnerships. Similar nonprofit model and K-12 age-tiered structure to Anima.
• Cincinnati Children's Choir: Midwest-based youth choral organization with graded ensembles from early childhood through high school. Comparable in regional scope, nonprofit structure, and K-12 progression to Anima.
• Houston Children's Chorus: Texas-based youth choir offering graded ensemble levels with regional performance partnerships. Comparable tiered audition-based model and nonprofit operating structure.
• Young People's Chorus of New York City: Premier youth choral organization in NYC serving singers from 5-18 across multiple ensemble levels. Comparable to Anima in its tiered structure, world-class performance repertoire, and international touring model.
• Chicago Children's Choir: Another major Chicago-area youth choral organization serving children from elementary through high school. Direct comparison to Anima given overlapping geography, similar age-tiered programming, and shared performance ecosystem.
• National Children's Chorus: Multi-city youth chorus program offering graded ensembles for young singers. Operates across several U.S. metros with audition-based placement similar to Anima's voice placement hearings.
• San Francisco Girls Chorus: Renowned Bay Area youth choral program with graded levels and international touring. Strong artistic pedigree (Grammy recordings, commissions) comparable to Anima's award profile.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AnimaAlumni
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/anima-glen-ellyn-childrens-chorus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Anima - Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus