CLARION MUSIC SOCIETY INC

What CLARION MUSIC SOCIETY INC does

Clarion Music Society Inc is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization that operates The Clarion Choir, a 32-member all-professional chamber choir founded in 2006, alongside The Clarion Orchestra, a period-instrument ensemble originally founded in 1957 by Newell Jenkins and revived in 2006. Under Artistic Director Steven Fox, the organization specializes in historically informed performance of Baroque and Classical choral-orchestral masterworks, with a particular emphasis on rarely performed Russian Orthodox repertoire including world-premiere recordings of Maximilian Steinberg's Passion Week and Alexander Kastalsky's Requiem. Its core technology is period-instrument performance practice, making The Clarion Orchestra one of the earliest American ensembles to switch to period instruments in the 1970s.

The organization's product surface comprises live concert performances at prestigious NYC venues (Carnegie Hall, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Park Avenue Christian Church, Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity), a Grammy-nominated commercial recording catalog, and an annual Clarion Educational Week offering free master classes in early music to students and young professionals. Revenue is generated through a mix of one-time concert ticket sales, annual season subscriptions sold via clarion-music.square.site, recording sales through its website and Amazon, individual donations and planned giving, and grants from institutional funders including the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, and Kane Lodge Foundation. Pricing for educational programming is freemium (free and open to the public), while concert pricing varies by venue and performance.

The organization serves two primary customer segments: classical music enthusiasts who attend live performances, purchase recordings, and provide donations, and music students and young professionals who participate in Educational Week programming. Distribution is event-driven across prestigious venue box offices, online ticketing platforms, and e-commerce for recordings. Operational leadership comprises Artistic Director Steven Fox, Administrative Director Lauren Ishida, Operations Manager Paul Holmes, and Director of Educational Week Jude Ziliak, with governance provided by a Board of Directors chaired by Christine Stonbely. Strategic positioning is built on Grammy-nominated artistic quality, sustained press recognition from The New York Times, BBC Music Magazine, The Guardian, and Gramophone, and recurring institutional partnerships with The English Concert, Orchestra of St. Luke's, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Name

CLARION MUSIC SOCIETY INC

Legal name

Clarion Music Society Inc

Website

https://clarionsociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Clarion Music Society Inc is a New York-based nonprofit performing arts organization operating a 32-member professional chamber choir and a period-instrument orchestra, serving classical music audiences with Baroque, Classical, and Russian Orthodox choral repertoire through live concerts, recordings, and free educational programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts - Classical Choral and Orchestral Services

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (711130), Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Record Production and Distribution (512250)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM), Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC)

Keywords

• Choral concert performances
• Period instrument orchestra
• Classical music recordings
• Early music education
• Historically informed performance

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. Concert Ticket Sales: Individual performance tickets sold for concerts at venues including Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Events include the Mozart Requiem at Carnegie Hall and performances at Park Avenue Christian Church.
2. Season Subscriptions: Subscription series for the 2026-27 season offering access to multiple performances including Bach Easter Oratorio, David Lang's The National Anthems, Bach Magnificat, Clarion New Year's Concerts, and Mozart Requiem.
3. Recordings Sales: Commercial recordings including Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil, Alexander Kastalsky's Requiem, Maximillian Steinberg's Passion Week, and Patti Drennan's Requiem of Light, available for purchase.
4. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations supporting world-class performances. The organization also offers planned giving and endowment programs. Funding received from NYSCA, NYC Cultural Affairs, NEA, and Kane Lodge Foundation.
5. Educational Programs: Clarion Educational Week offers free master classes and concerts to elementary/high school students, young professionals, and the general public. Events include Baroque violin, cello, vocal, and chamber music master classes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Clarion Music Society Inc presents professional live choral and orchestral concerts by The Clarion Choir and The Clarion Orchestra at prestigious New York venues, specializing in historically informed performances of Baroque, Classical, and Russian Orthodox masterworks on period instruments. The organization also produces and sells Grammy-nominated commercial recordings and operates the free Clarion Educational Week program offering early-music master classes to students and young professionals.

Product overview

The Clarion Choir & Orchestra is a unified performing arts organization consisting of two core offerings: The Clarion Choir (professional chamber choir, founded 2006) and The Clarion Orchestra (period-instrument ensemble, founded 1957, revived 2006). The organization presents live concert performances at major venues including Carnegie Hall, produces professional recordings (multiple GRAMMY-nominated), and operates Clarion Educational Week offering free master classes in early music performance. Steven Fox serves as Artistic Director of both entities, which frequently perform together and collaborate with orchestras such as Orchestra of St. Luke's, English Concert, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Concert Performances and Season Subscription Series Live professional choral and orchestral performances by The Clarion Choir and The Clarion Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, Park Avenue Christian Church, Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, sold via individual tickets and annual season subscriptions. Repertoire spans Bach, Mozart, Handel, Rachmaninoff, and contemporary composers, performed on period instruments.
• Commercial Recordings Catalog Professional choral recordings including Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil (Vespers), Alexander Kastalsky's Requiem and Memory Eternal, Maximilian Steinberg's Passion Week, and Patti Drennan's Requiem of Light, sold through clarionsociety.org and third-party retailers including Amazon. Multiple recordings have received GRAMMY nominations and critical acclaim from BBC Music Magazine, Gramophone, Diapason, and others.
• Clarion Educational Week Annual educational program offering free master classes in Early Music performance (Baroque violin, cello, vocal, and chamber music) led by renowned performers, concluding with a student/faculty concert. Open to elementary and high school students, young professionals, and the general public.

Quantifiable outcome

• Four GRAMMY nominations for Best Choral Performance for recordings including Rachmaninoff's Vespers, Steinberg's Passion Week, and Kastalsky's Requiem
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The English ConcertcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Clarion Choir has a special partnership with The English Concert and Music Director Harry Bicket for annual presentations of Handel operas and oratorios at Carnegie Hall and on tour, including Handel's Semele (2019) and Solomon (2023).
• Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met Live Arts)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial partnership with the Met's music program. The Clarion Choir has presented eight Renaissance and early-Baroque programs in the Medieval Sculpture Hall and the Met Cloisters. Performances include David Lang's 'the national anthems' as part of America's 250th anniversary programming and Carnegie Hall's Festival United in Sound.
• Catalyst QuartetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive-time Grammy-nominated Clarion Choir performed alongside Grammy-winning Catalyst Quartet (2022-24 MetLiveArts Quartet in Residence) for David Lang's 'the national anthems' at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
• Baltimore Symphony OrchestraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSteven Fox has appeared as guest conductor with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Clarion has collaborated with notable artists and ensembles including the Baltimore Symphony.
• Madonna / 2018 Met GalaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Clarion Choir collaborated with Madonna at the 2018 Met Gala, a high-profile cultural event that expanded their audience reach beyond traditional classical music venues.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Boston Baroque: North America's first permanent period-instrument orchestra, performing Baroque and Classical choral-orchestral repertoire. Comparable to Clarion in period-instrument specialization and choral-orchestral programming, though with a longer track record and larger subscription base.
• Handel and Haydn Society: Boston-based period-instrument orchestra and chorus founded in 1815, performing Baroque and Classical repertoire. Directly comparable to Clarion in mission (historically informed performance), educational programming (vocal/instrumental training), and subscription concert model, though at a larger and longer-established scale.
• Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra: San Francisco Bay Area period-instrument orchestra founded in 1981, performing Baroque through early Romantic repertoire. Comparable to Clarion in historically informed performance practice, recording activity, and nonprofit subscription-based concert model.
• Bach Choir of Bethlehem: Oldest Bach choir in the United States, performing Bach and choral masterworks with subscription concerts, recordings, and educational programming. Comparable to Clarion in Bach specialization, nonprofit subscription model, recording activity, and educational outreach.
• Apollo's Fire: Cleveland-based Baroque ensemble founded by Jeannette Sorrell, performing period-instrument Baroque and Classical repertoire with international touring. Directly comparable in scale, mission (historically informed performance), recording activity, and educational outreach.
• Choir of Trinity Wall Street / Trinity Baroque Orchestra: New York City-based professional choir and period-instrument orchestra with an active recording and concert series. Directly comparable to Clarion as a NYC-based period-institution ensemble with subscription programming and a similar choral-orchestral Baroque/Classical focus.
• Vox Vocal Ensemble: American professional chamber choir specializing in contemporary and classical choral repertoire with an active recording program. Comparable to Clarion as a similarly sized professional chamber choir with GRAMMY-recognized recordings and subscription-based concert activity.
• Les Arts Florissants: William Christie-founded French early-music ensemble performing Baroque repertoire with period instruments and historical performance practice. Comparable to Clarion in niche specialization, international touring, and educational outreach, though at a substantially larger scale.
• The English Concert: UK-based Baroque orchestra led by Harry Bicket, with whom Clarion has an active partnership for Handel opera and oratorio productions at Carnegie Hall. Highly comparable as a period-instrument ensemble specializing in Handel and Baroque choral-orchestral works.

Emerging players

• Piffaro The Renaissance Band: Philadelphia-based early-music ensemble specializing in Renaissance and early-Baroque wind and vocal repertoire. Comparable to Clarion in historically informed performance practice and NYC-area educational partnerships, though focused on an earlier period of repertoire.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGTTamzCaJmx0FRQ7fx3DXw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clarion-music-society-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 CLARION MUSIC SOCIETY INC