Classical Kids Music Education

What Classical Kids Music Education does

Classical Kids Music Education (operating as Classical Kids LIVE!) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization incorporated in Illinois that produces live theatrical orchestral concerts designed to introduce children and families to classical composers through dramatized biographical storytelling. The organization, founded by Susan Hammond with roots in her 1989 audio stories, presents a portfolio of 8 productions — including Beethoven Lives Upstairs, Mozart's Magnificent Voyage, Gershwin's Magic Key, Tchaikovsky Discovers America, Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery, Hallelujah Handel, Christmas on Main Street, and the newest Saint-Georges' Sword & Bow — performed by professional actors in collaboration with host orchestras.

The company engages with hundreds of distinguished symphony orchestras across the U.S. and Canada (Cleveland, Philadelphia, National Symphony, Toronto, Atlanta, Charlotte, Wichita, and others) through a quote-based booking process anchored by a 26-27 touring calendar. Its technology stack is built around theatrical production rather than software: dramatized stage productions, professional actor casting, and a content library of best-selling audio stories. Complementary offerings include The Teaching Edition curriculum bundles, Teachers' Notes & CDs, an online shop for recordings/DVDs/box sets, and a licensing initiative that permits other orchestras to perform the productions.

Classical Kids' revenue model is diversified across five streams: production bookings with orchestras, licensing royalties, sale of recordings and merchandise, sale of educational resources, and donations/sponsorships (corporate, foundation, angel donor, and government support). The organization also runs access-oriented programs such as Every Orchestra, Every Child and Music Inspires!, and operates a Chicago Expansion Initiative to deepen its home-market footprint. It has reached more than two million children and adults across over a thousand performances and claims more awards and honors than any peer entity in its field.

Name

Classical Kids Music Education

Legal name

Classical Kids Music Education

Website

https://classicalkidslive.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Classical Kids Music Education is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) non-profit that produces live theatrical orchestral concerts introducing children and families to classical composers, partnering with hundreds of symphony orchestras across North America and generating revenue through performance bookings, licensing, merchandise, educational resources, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Music Education Entertainment

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Fine Arts Schools (61161), Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Childhood Music Education (Ages 0–7) (EDAMANAD), Music (Instruments, Voice, Music Theory) (EDAAAGAC), Music Instruction (Instrumental & Vocal) (EDAMAAAE), Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH)

Keywords

• Children's orchestral concerts
• Classical music education
• Theatrical music productions
• Music education resources
• Live orchestral performances

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Production Bookings: Classical Kids LIVE! collaborates with orchestras to present theatrical orchestral concerts. Orchestras book productions for their student and family concert series.
2. Licensing Initiative: The company licenses its productions for performance by other orchestras and arts organizations.
3. Recordings and Merchandise: Sale of Classical Kids recordings, DVDs, box sets, and books through the online shop.
4. Educational Resources: Sale of The Teaching Edition, Teachers' Notes and CD bundles, and other educational materials for classroom use.
5. Donations and Sponsorship: The organization is a non-profit that accepts donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation support, and angel donor contributions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Classical Kids Music Education creates and tours live theatrical orchestral concerts that dramatize the lives and musical masterpieces of classical composers for student and family audiences. The company partners with hundreds of symphony orchestras to present these productions, sells related recordings, DVDs, and educational materials, and licenses productions to other orchestras and arts organizations.

Product overview

Classical Kids Music Education is an acclaimed provider of children's live theatrical orchestral concerts featuring six to eight distinct productions, each telling the story of a famous classical composer through magically staged performances with professional actors and orchestras. The portfolio includes productions such as Saint-Georges' Sword & Bow (the newest), Beethoven Lives Upstairs, Gershwin's Magic Key, Mozart's Magnificent Voyage, Tchaikovsky Discovers America, Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery, Hallelujah Handel, and Christmas on Main Street. These live performances are complemented by educational resources including The Teaching Edition, Teachers' Notes & CDs, and merchandise including Classical Kids Recordings and DVDs. The company has collaborated with hundreds of distinguished orchestras presenting over a thousand performances to more than two million children and adults. Additional offerings include access programs like Every Orchestra, Every Child and the Music Inspires! initiative, along with licensing options for orchestras.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Classical Kids LIVE!: Live theatrical orchestral concert series presenting the lives and musical masterpieces of great classical composers to children and families.
• Classical Kids Recordings
• Classical Kids DVDs
• The Teaching Edition

Products and services

• Saint-Georges' Sword & Bow Live theatrical orchestral concert featuring Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, introducing children to the first classical composer of African heritage.
• Beethoven Lives Upstairs Biographical theatrical concert that brings Ludwig van Beethoven's extraordinary life and musical masterpieces to young audiences through an engaging story format.
• Gershwin's Magic Key Live orchestral concert that introduces George Gershwin's musical legacy to children through an entertaining story featuring magical elements.
• Mozart's Magnificent Voyage Theatrical concert exploring Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's life and compositions through an imaginative narrative journey.
• Tchaikovsky Discovers America Orchestral concert following Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's travels and musical achievements in America.
• Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery Mystery-themed theatrical concert featuring Antonio Vivaldi's compositions with a compelling narrative for young audiences.
• Hallelujah Handel Live concert dramatizing George Frideric Handel's life and famous compositions for children and families.
• Christmas on Main Street Holiday-themed orchestral concert for family audiences featuring classical Christmas music with theatrical storytelling.
• The Teaching Edition Educational curriculum materials designed to accompany productions for classroom use, including teaching guides and lesson plans.
• Teachers' Notes & CDs Bundled educational resources including teacher guides and audio recordings to support music education integration in schools.
• Classical Kids Recordings Audio recordings of classical music performances produced for educational and home listening purposes.
• Classical Kids DVDs and Box Sets Video recordings and box sets of theatrical orchestral concerts for home and educational viewing.
• Licensing Initiative Licensing of Classical Kids productions to other orchestras and arts organizations for independent performance.

Named customers11 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Cleveland OrchestracoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Cleveland Orchestra has presented Classical Kids productions for student and family audiences, praising the organization's professionalism, organization, and top-notch actors.
• National Symphony OrchestracoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational Symphony Orchestra has featured Classical Kids productions, describing them as 'intelligently created, beautifully produced and acted' with 'extraordinary care' in music selection.
• Toronto Symphony OrchestracoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorToronto Symphony Orchestra has used Classical Kids productions to anchor their season, serving both younger children and older students with deeper musical and historical understanding.
• Charlotte Symphony OrchestracoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCharlotte Symphony Orchestra premiered Saint-Georges' Sword and Bow and praised the production for touching on heavier topics in a gentle, accessible way for children.
• DePaul UniversityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDePaul University hosted a performance of Saint-Georges' Sword and Bow, featuring actors Jonah D. Winston as Joseph Bologne and Brandi Jiminez Lee as Giselle.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Nashville Symphony Education Programs: Mid-size US symphony orchestra with active family and school concert programming. Comparable as a direct peer-orchestra partner/customer profile — orchestras of this size and mission are Classical Kids' primary customer segment.
• New York Philharmonic Education Programs: The New York Philharmonic runs school concerts, family concerts, and Young People's Concerts — directly competing for the same symphony-orchestra family-concert series wallet as Classical Kids and demonstrating an in-house alternative orchestras may choose.
• Classics for Kids Foundation: A non-profit dedicated to introducing children to classical music through recordings, lesson plans, and educational resources. Closely aligned with Classical Kids' mission of children's classical-music education, though delivered through radio/internet rather than live theatrical concerts.
• Chicago Symphony Orchestra — Adventures in Music: CSO's Adventures in Music program delivers in-house youth and family concerts across the Chicago metro — the same market where Classical Kids has launched a Chicago Expansion Initiative — making it both a peer and a potential channel-partner conflict.

Broad incumbents

• André Rieu Productions: André Rieu produces large-scale theatrical orchestral concert tours combining live music with staged storytelling. Comparable as a broader incumbent in theatrical orchestral concerts, but at a global-arena scale and without children's classical-music education as the framing.
• Carnegie Hall / Weill Music Institute: Carnegie Hall's education arm produces youth and family concerts with partner orchestras and provides national music-education programming. Comparable as a broader, better-funded incumbent in the orchestral-music-education-for-children category, with overlapping mission but significantly larger scale.
• Lincoln Center Education: Lincoln Center Education develops arts curriculum and family programming across multiple disciplines for schools and families. Comparable as a larger, broader arts-education platform targeting the same schools and family audiences Classical Kids reaches through orchestra partners.
• Disney Concerts / Disney Music Group: Disney produces theatrical concert experiences (e.g., Disney in Concert) combining orchestra with storytelling and family-friendly IP. Comparable as a broad incumbent in family theatrical orchestral concerts, though with substantially larger marketing and IP budgets.

Emerging players

• Music Together LLC: Music Together runs early-childhood music-education programs for families and schools across the US. Comparable as a children's music-education franchise serving similar families and schools, though operating in group-classroom rather than live-theatrical format.
• Baby Einstein (Kids II): Baby Einstein produces multimedia content (music, video) introducing young children to classical music and the arts. Comparable as a children's classical-music content brand targeting the same family demographic, but delivered through screen media rather than live orchestra concerts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/classical-kids-music-education

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Classical Kids Music Education