Decoda
Decoda is a 34-artist nonprofit chamber music collective and Carnegie Hall Affiliate Ensemble that delivers tuition-based music education programs, community work at correctional facilities, and a recently launched recording line.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Decoda does
Decoda is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit chamber music collective founded in 2012 and designated as Carnegie Hall's only Affiliate Ensemble. It is composed of 34 individually selected artists who function as both performers and teachers. The organization runs three program lines: the Decoda Chamber Music Festival (a tuition-based summer training program), the Winter Retreat (a tuition-based intensive), and Music for Transformation, a community engagement program delivering music education at correctional facilities since 2013. In 2024, Decoda extended its output into recorded media with a debut album released on the Bright Shiny Things label, and it maintains venue partnerships including Tippet Rise Art Center. Catherine Gregory was appointed Co-Artistic Director for the 2025–2028 term.
The organization's business model is nonprofit and multi-stream. Earned revenue is generated through festival tuition (approximately $2,950 per student, comprising a $1,800 festival fee and $1,150 room and board), winter retreat fees ($2,350–$3,400 per participant), and a nascent recording royalty line. The remainder of operating support comes from philanthropic donations and public funding. Go-to-market is primarily through institutional affiliation with Carnegie Hall, partner venues such as Tippet Rise, and direct recruitment of tuition-paying participants for education programs. The 2026 festival's booking of Ringdown as guest artists indicates a modest cross-genre programming direction.
Decoda firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Decoda
- Legal name
- Decoda, Inc.
- Website
- https://decodamusic.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Decoda is a 34-artist nonprofit chamber music collective and Carnegie Hall Affiliate Ensemble that delivers tuition-based music education programs, community work at correctional facilities, and a recently launched recording line.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Decoda industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Chamber Music / Performing Arts
- NAICS
- Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG), Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD)
Keywords
Where Decoda is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Decoda business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Decoda operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 46-0849096) and relies heavily on individual donations and charitable contributions. They accept checks and online donations through Donorbox.
- Public Funding: Decoda receives support from New York State Council on the Arts with support from Governor Kathy Hochul and the NY State Legislature, and public funds from NYC Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
- Festival Tuition and Fees: The Decoda Chamber Music Festival charges tuition ($1,800) and room and board ($1,150) for participants. Application fees ($25) and deposits are also collected.
- Winter Retreat Fees: The Winter Retreat for Adult Amateur Musicians charges between $2,350-$3,400 depending on housing options (single/double occupancy, dorm vs Cape House).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Decoda Chamber Music Festival 2026 (June 15-26, 2026) |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Winter Retreat 2027 - New Dorm Single Occupancy |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Winter Retreat 2027 - New Dorm Double Occupancy |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Winter Retreat 2027 - Cape House Option #1 (4 Bedrooms, 4 En-Suite) |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Winter Retreat 2027 - Cape House Option #2 (3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms) |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Winter Retreat Application Fees |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | DCMF Application Fee |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Decoda product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Decoda is a chamber music collective of world-class artists that performs virtuosic concerts, runs training festivals (DCMF and Winter Retreat), and delivers community engagement programs such as Music for Transformation in correctional facilities. The ensemble operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by donations, public arts grants, and program tuition.
Product overview
Decoda is Carnegie Hall's Affiliate Ensemble - a chamber music collective offering a portfolio of programs including the Decoda Chamber Music Festival (DCMF), Winter Retreat for adult amateurs, and the flagship Music for Transformation criminal justice program. The ensemble also produces recordings, performs concerts, and conducts community engagement initiatives. The Decoda Chamber Music Festival and Winter Retreat are the core educational programs that train emerging musicians, while Music for Transformation and other community programs extend their mission to diverse populations. Their debut self-titled album was released in 2024 on the Bright Shiny Things label.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Decoda Chamber Music Festival (DCMF): An annual summer festival dedicated to training the next generation of young artists through chamber music, creativity, and community engagement. Takes place at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, North Carolina.
- Decoda Winter Retreat
- Music for Transformation
Quantifiable outcome
- Music for Transformation program has been featured in Washington Post, CNN, and presented at the White House with President Obama's Office of Urban Affairs.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Decoda
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Decoda technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Decoda partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and key.
- Bright Shiny ThingscoreBright Shiny Things is Decoda's record label for releasing their debut album 'DECODA' on May 10, 2024. Also released 'Vent' by Catherine Gregory and David Kaplan.
- Carnegie HallflagshipDecoda is Carnegie Hall's only Affiliate Ensemble, recognized for exceptional performances and commitment to education and community programs. Decoda was founded by Ensemble Connect alumni and maintains deep ties with Carnegie Hall through performances, residencies, and collaborative projects.
- Warren Wilson CollegecoreWarren Wilson College in Swannanoa, North Carolina serves as the summer home for Decoda Chamber Music Festival. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, the college campus hosts the annual festival.
- Campus at Marlboro MusiccoreThe historic Campus at Marlboro Music in Marlboro, Vermont (home of the famed Marlboro Music Festival) hosts Decoda's Winter Retreat for Adult Amateur Musicians. Features Jerome and Celia Bertin Reich Building for rehearsals.
- New York State Council on the ArtscoreDecoda programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with support from Governor Kathy Hochul and the NY State Legislature.
- New York City Department of Cultural AffairscorePrograms are supported by public funds from NYC Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
- Tippet Rise Art CentercoreTippet Rise Art Center in Montana served as the recording location for Decoda's debut album. Decoda artists have performed at the art center.
- The Juilliard SchoolcoreDecoda founders emerged from Ensemble Connect, a fellowship program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, and the Weill Music Institute. Ongoing relationship with Juilliard for performances and artist development.
- RingdownkeyRingdown featuring Caroline Shaw and Danni Lee Parpan are special guest artists at the 2026 DCMF. Ringdown is a cinematic electro-pop duo creating music bridging classical and contemporary worlds.
- Musical MasterworkscoreOngoing partnership with Musical Masterworks including residencies at Cheshire Correctional Institute, Waterford Country School, Fitch High School, Vista Life Innovations, and family concerts in Old Lyme, CT.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Decoda competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- eighth blackbird: A GRAMMY-winning contemporary chamber ensemble of roughly six core musicians that combines virtuosic performance with education and community engagement, paralleling Decoda's dual artistic-plus-impact model. Both groups commission living composers and emphasize flexible instrumentation, with eighth blackbird serving as a closer-to-mature analogue.
- Argento New Music Project: A New York-based new music ensemble with overlapping artistic personnel (Carol McGonnell and Doori Na serve in both Decoda and Argento) and a similar mission of pairing contemporary chamber music with community engagement. Most directly comparable on artist overlap and programming philosophy.
- yMusic: A six-member contemporary chamber ensemble that performs new music across genres and collaborates widely with indie and popular artists. Comparable in flexible instrumentation, contemporary commissioning focus, and prestige positioning within the new-music chamber ecosystem.
- Bang on a Can All-Stars: A small, flexible new-music chamber collective that performs across genres, runs education programs, and partners with leading composers and presenters globally. Operates a comparable hybrid performance-plus-mission-driven model with similar artist-curation philosophy to Decoda.
- International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE): A large, flexible collective of roughly 40 musicians dedicated to new music, with an explicit educational and community engagement mission. Closely comparable to Decoda in roster size, flexible instrumentation from small ensemble to large configurations, and emphasis on commissioning living composers.
- Roomful of Teeth: A GRAMMY-winning vocal chamber ensemble focused on extending classical vocal technique into new repertoire, with residency programs at Williams College and an explicit education and community engagement agenda. Comparable to Decoda in prestige trajectory, residency-driven model, and innovative programming of living composers.
- A Far Cry: A self-conducted chamber orchestra of approximately 40 members based in Boston that performs without a conductor and emphasizes collaborative artistic decision-making. Comparable in collective governance, flexible chamber scale, and mission-driven identity within the contemporary classical space.
- Alarm Will Sound: A roughly 20-member contemporary chamber orchestra that performs new and recent works across genres, with strong educational programming through programs like its recent collaboration with Carnegie Hall. Directly comparable hybrid performance-plus-education model to Decoda's mission.
Others
- Ensemble Connect: The Carnegie Hall/Juilliard/Weill Music Institute two-year fellowship program from which Decoda was founded in 2012. Not a commercial peer but a structural predecessor and ongoing incubator whose alumni populate Decoda's roster, making it the most direct lineage comparable for understanding Decoda's pipeline and positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Kronos Quartet: The most established new-music string quartet globally with a 50-year commissioning legacy, extensive touring, and major-label recordings. Represents the mature scale ceiling for what a dedicated new-music chamber ensemble can become, providing aspirational comparability for Decoda's commissioning and recording ambitions.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Decoda social profiles
Digital presenceDecoda financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Decoda leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Decoda funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Decoda 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 Decoda
What does Decoda do?
Decoda is a chamber music collective of world-class artists that performs virtuosic concerts, runs training festivals (DCMF and Winter Retreat), and delivers community engagement programs such as Music for Transformation in correctional facilities. The ensemble operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by donations, public arts grants, and program tuition.
Is Decoda a public or private company?
Decoda is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Decoda founded?
Decoda was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Decoda based?
Decoda is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Decoda make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are public Funding, festival Tuition and Fees and winter Retreat Fees.
Who are Decoda's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are eighth blackbird, Argento New Music Project, yMusic, Bang on a Can All-Stars, International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), Roomful of Teeth, A Far Cry and Alarm Will Sound. Ensemble Connect is listed as an others. Kronos Quartet is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Decoda have an API?
No public API is recorded for Decoda.
What industry is Decoda in?
Decoda's product category is Chamber Music / Performing Arts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAB, Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music), with a secondary code of BPAGAHAG, Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations. Its NAICS code is 71113.