Colour Of Music Festival

What Colour Of Music Festival does

The Colour Of Music Festival is a 501(c)-style nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 2013 and headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, dedicated exclusively to showcasing Black classical composers and performers of African descent. Operated by Founder & Artistic Director Lee Pringle with a lean team of approximately 8 employees supplemented by contracted and volunteer musicians, the festival presents an annual seasonal concert series—Black History Month (February), spring, and fall—across Charleston, North Charleston, and a national footprint of more than 10 cities including Atlanta, Houston, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Washington DC, Tulsa, Sacramento, New York City, Milwaukee, and San Francisco. Core programming includes a 60-70+ member Festival Orchestra led by Maestro Brandon Keith Brown, a Chamber Orchestra, and various chamber configurations (quartets, quintets, sextets, octets) plus solo recitals in piano, organ, violin, and voice. The festival has performed at prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall (Zankel Hall), Spelman College, CUNY Graduate Center, Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, and the North Charleston Performing Arts Center, and was named a 2022 Southern Cultural Treasure by South Arts.

The underlying technology stack is modest: the festival runs on a Squarespace-hosted website (colourofmusic.org), OvationTix for primary ticketing, and Ticketmaster as a secondary channel, with no proprietary platform or AI capabilities. The business model blends four revenue streams—individual ticket sales at $15-$60 per performance, individual donations via the website portal, corporate sponsorships (Roper Saint Francis Healthcare, Boeing, Crews Subaru/Chevrolet, South Carolina Stingrays), and institutional foundation grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, South Arts (via Ford Foundation and Alice L. Walton Foundation), the South Carolina Arts Commission, and the City of Charleston. Marketing relies on the website, email newsletter, blog content, YouTube, and earned media coverage (CBS News, NPR affiliates, Symphony Magazine, Post and Courier). Customer segments include classical music enthusiasts, cultural heritage audiences seeking representation of Black artists, and educational institutions hosting performances and outreach programming.

Name

Colour Of Music Festival

Legal name

Colour of Music Festival Inc.

Website

https://colourofmusic.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Colour Of Music Festival is a nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 2013 in Charleston, SC, that presents seasonal classical music concert series featuring Black composers and performers across 10+ U.S. cities, supported by ticket sales, donations, sponsorships, and arts foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Festival — Classical Music

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJAFAA

Concerts & Music Festivals

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Live Entertainment & Ticketed Events (Shows, Concerts, Sports Experiences)

SECONDARYBPAGAHAG

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

Keywords

• Classical music festival
• Orchestra performances
• Chamber music concerts
• Black composers repertoire
• Arts nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

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. Ticket Sales: Revenue from individual concert and event tickets ranging from $16.50 to $54 per performance
2. Donations: Accepts donations through their website donation portal
3. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships from organizations like Roper Saint Francis Healthcare, Boeing, Crews Subaru, Crews Chevrolet, South Carolina Stingrays
4. Foundation Grants: Support from National Endowment for the Arts, South Arts Southern Cultural Treasures (Ford Foundation, Alice L. Walton Foundation), South Carolina Arts Commission

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Colour of Music Festival is a nonprofit performing arts organization that produces live classical music concerts featuring Black classical composers and performers of African descent. Its primary offerings are seasonal concert series (Black History Month, spring, fall) presented as full orchestra masterworks, chamber orchestra programs, chamber ensemble performances (quartets through octets), and solo recitals, delivered in historic and major venues across more than 10 U.S. cities.

Product overview

The Colour of Music Festival is a classical music festival organization that presents an annual series of live concerts featuring internationally trained Black classical musicians and performers. The core offerings include full orchestral performances by the Colour of Music Festival Orchestra (60+ members), the smaller Chamber Orchestra, various chamber music configurations (quartets, quintets, sextets, octets), and solo recitals featuring piano, organ, violin, and voice. The festival operates primarily in Charleston, SC with expanding residencies in cities including Sacramento, Nashville, Atlanta, NYC, Houston, Pittsburgh, Richmond, and Tulsa. Educational programming including panel discussions and composer spotlights complements the performance offerings. Founded in 2013, the organization is recognized as the country's largest Black classical music organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Colour of Music Festival Annual Concert Series Seasonal concert series presenting Black classical composers and performers across multiple U.S. cities, available to individual ticket-buying audiences through festival programming.
• Colour of Music Festival Orchestra Full orchestral ensemble of 60+ members performing classical masterworks by Black composers at major U.S. venues.
• Colour of Music Festival Chamber Orchestra Smaller orchestral ensemble performing chamber-sized masterworks and orchestral repertoire by Black classical composers at festival venues.
• Chamber Music Programs Chamber ensemble configurations including quartets, quintets, sextets, and octets performing classical repertoire by Black composers.
• Solo Recitals Individual performances featuring piano, organ, violin, and vocal soloists presenting classical works by Black composers.
• Black History Month Concert Series Themed February concert series celebrating Black History Month through classical music performances of works by Black composers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Performing at major venues including Carnegie Hall, Spelman College, and multiple cities nationwide

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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 major, supporting and core.

• Roper Saint Francis Health SystemmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Presenting sponsor for North Charleston orchestra performances at the Performing Arts Center
• Boeing CorporationmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Corporate sponsor for North Charleston orchestra performances
• Crews Subaru and ChevroletmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Corporate sponsor for North Charleston orchestra performances
• South Carolina StingrayssupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Corporate sponsor for North Charleston orchestra performances
• City of North CharlestoncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Municipal partner presenting festival orchestra at North Charleston Performing Arts Center

Scale indicators5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sphinx Organization: Detroit-based nonprofit dedicated to increasing Black and Latino representation in classical music through competitions, performances, and programming. The most direct comparable mission and audience overlap with Colour of Music Festival.
• American Composers Orchestra: NYC-based orchestral organization performing works by living American and underrepresented composers. Comparable niche repertoire focus and orchestral concert programming model.
• Boston Celebrity Series: Boston-based performing arts presenter producing a season of classical, music, and dance performances with educational programming. Comparable presenting-and-curating nonprofit model with multi-venue concert series.
• Gateways Music Festival: Rochester, NY-based festival featuring Black classical musicians in orchestral and chamber performances, founded in 1993. Closely aligned mission of showcasing professional Black classical musicians with multi-event festival programming.
• Oregon Bach Festival: Annual classical/baroque music festival presenting orchestral, choral, and chamber performances with educational programming. Comparable annual festival format, ticketed concert series, and institutional academic partnership.
• Da Camera Society: Houston-based chamber music presenting organization with educational programs and multi-format concert series. Comparable in chamber repertoire presentation, educational outreach, and multi-tier ticket pricing.
• Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center: Presents classical chamber music performances across multiple NYC venues with educational programming and ticketed concert series. Comparable presenting model, chamber repertoire, and educational outreach component.
• National Black Arts Festival: Atlanta-based multi-disciplinary Black arts festival presenting music, dance, theater, and visual arts with corporate sponsorship and institutional backing. Comparable in cultural-heritage programming and Southeast U.S. audience focus.

Broad incumbents

• Carnegie Hall (programming division): Premier classical music presenter with multiple seasons of orchestral, chamber, and recital programming across Zankel, Stern, and Weill halls. Functions as both venue partner and broader incumbent in the same classical concert space.

Others

• League of American Orchestras: National service organization supporting American orchestras through programming, advocacy, and audience development. Relevant as an industry/advisory peer in the classical orchestral ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/colour-of-music-festival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Colour Of Music Festival