EMCA - Escuela de Música Contemporánea de Arequipa

What EMCA - Escuela de Música Contemporánea de Arequipa does

EMCA - Escuela de M\u00fasica Contempor\u00e1nea de Arequipa is a private Peruvian music education institution founded in 2013 in Arequipa, Peru, operating as the first school dedicated to contemporary popular music training in southern Peru. The institution delivers an international pedagogical methodology adapted from Berklee College of Music through its partnership with Faculdade Souza Lima (Brazil), combining in-person instruction at the Yanahuara campus with formal certifications recognized by the Peruvian Ministry of Culture and ALAEMUS. Its core academic portfolio comprises three programs: the PMC (Programa de M\u00fasica Contempor\u00e1nea), a 4-year comprehensive contemporary music program split into Technical and Advanced stages; the PIM (Programa de Introducci\u00f3n a la M\u00fasica), a 16-week introductory program with no prerequisites that feeds directly into the PMC; and Cursos Libres, offering personalized 45-minute private classes across instruments (guitar, bass, drums, voice, saxophone) and theory on a pay-as-you-go basis. Supporting offerings include Pre-EMCA (preparatory enrollment) and seasonal Talleres/Cursos de Verano workshops, with an online courses platform (Cursos Online) announced for upcoming launch.

The business model is B2C subscription-style tuition billed in Peruvian Soles, with a one-time matricula per academic cycle plus recurring monthly fees. PMC pricing is S/ 200 matricula plus four monthly installments of S/ 600 (S/ 2,400 annually); PIM Regular (March and August intake) is S/ 200 matricula plus S/ 400 monthly over 16 weeks; PIM Verano (January intake) carries no matricula at S/ 500 monthly. Cursos Libres operate on unit pricing with packages of 4 or 8 classes per week. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer via the physical campus, WhatsApp enrollment links, downloadable applicant guides, and a Q10-powered EMCANET student portal, with social media (primarily Facebook) driving top-of-funnel awareness. Customer segments are horizontal, targeting aspiring professional musicians and beginner hobbyists in southern Peru, with no named enterprise accounts.

Operationally, EMCA has trained over 3,000 students, organized more than 200 cultural activities, and developed more than 20 musical projects since 2013. Leadership includes founder Rafael Astete (musician, composer, and founder of Sagitarium Music and Goia Music Studio), Director General Felipe Escudero (commercial engineer and MBA with experience in music business and cultural management), and Academic Coordinator Diego C\u00e1rdenas (musician, producer, and musical director of the group Lund\u00fa). The institution is privately held with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or ownership structure, and there are no M&A, leadership change, or restructuring events recorded in the available data.

Name

EMCA - Escuela de Música Contemporánea de Arequipa

Legal name

Escuela de Música Contemporánea de Arequipa

Website

https://emca.edu.pe

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EMCA is a private Peruvian music school in Arequipa, founded in 2013, offering contemporary music education through a 4-year PMC program, a 16-week PIM introductory track, and private Cursos Libres, with curricula adapted from Berklee/Souza Lima and certifications recognized by the Ministry of Culture and ALAEMUS.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Arequipa

HQ country

Peru

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Enrollment Fees: EMCA generates revenue through enrollment/matrícula fees and monthly tuition payments across its three academic programs: PIM (Programa de Introducción a la Música), PMC (Programa de Música Contemporánea), and Cursos Libres. Payment is structured per academic cycle with installment options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

EMCA is a private music education institution in Arequipa, Peru that provides contemporary popular music training through the PMC (4-year program), PIM (16-week introductory program), and Cursos Libres (personalized private classes), plus seasonal workshops and preparatory courses. Curriculum is based on an international methodology originally developed by Berklee College of Music and Souza Lima (Brazil), with certifications recognized by the Peruvian Ministry of Culture and ALAEMUS.

Product overview

EMCA operates as a music education institution offering a structured portfolio of programs. The core offerings include the PMC (Programa de Música Contemporánea) - a 4-year comprehensive contemporary music program with technical and advanced stages - and the PIM (Programa de Introducción a la Música) - a 16-week introductory program. Supporting offerings include Cursos Libres (personalized private music classes), Talleres/Cursos de Verano (seasonal workshops), and Pre-EMCA (preparatory enrollment). The institution provides in-person education with plans for an online platform (Cursos Online, announced as upcoming).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PMC - Programa de M\u00fasica Contempor\u00e1nea A 4-year comprehensive contemporary music program divided into two stages: Technical Program (2 years) and Advanced Program (2 years). Provides training in music theory, composition, arrangements, production, sound, and performance. Graduates receive a certificate recognized by the Ministry of Culture of Peru and ALAEMUS (Latin American Association of Music Schools); Advanced Program graduates produce their first professional discographic recording.
• PIM - Programa de Introducci\u00f3n a la M\u00fasica A 16-week introductory music program for beginners with no prior knowledge, covering music theory, familiarization with musical language, and essential instrument skills. Serves as preparation for the PMC program, with March and August intake and a January summer (Verano) session.
• Cursos Libres Personalized 100% private classes for acquiring or strengthening musical skills, offered year-round with flexible schedules. Available as packages of 4 or 8 weekly classes of 45 minutes each, covering instruments (guitar, bass, drums, voice, saxophone) and theory courses.
• Pre-EMCA Pre-enrollment program that serves as the first step in musical training, helping students understand musical language and preparing them to enter the PMC. Classes start dates vary by enrollment period.
• Talleres / Cursos de Verano Seasonal workshop courses offered during summer months (January-February), including intensive music courses for skill development during the summer break period.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates receive certifications recognized by the Peruvian Ministry of Culture and ALAEMUS
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ALAEMUS - Asociación Latinoamericana de Escuelas de MúsicacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014EMCA has been an integrated member of ALAEMUS since 2014, enabling the school to share the highest standards of music education quality and offer its students access to conventions and benefits with leading institutions across Latin America. ALAEMUS membership also enables EMCA to issue certifications recognized by the association and the Peruvian Ministry of Culture.
• Faculdade Souza Lima & Berklee College of Music (São Paulo, Brazil)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMCA originated from a partnership with this prestigious Brazilian institution, which provided the foundational international methodology that EMCA has since adapted and improved for the local context. This is the source of EMCA's internationally-aligned contemporary music curriculum.
• EMMAT - Escuela de Música y Arte (Colombia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner institution providing student exchange and cross-institutional collaboration opportunities within the ALAEMUS network.
• Faculdade Souza Lima (Brazil)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an international partner institution for student exchange and academic collaboration within the ALAEMUS network.
• TAMABA (Argentina)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an international partner institution for student exchange and academic collaboration within the ALAEMUS network.
• ProJazz (Chile)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an international partner institution for student exchange and academic collaboration within the ALAEMUS network.
• EMA - Escuela de Música (Paraguay)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an international partner institution for student exchange and academic collaboration within the ALAEMUS network.
• PMA - Peru Music Association (Peru)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner institution within the ALAEMUS network, representing the Peruvian music education ecosystem.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BIMM University: UK/Ireland-based university group offering degree programs across contemporary music, performing arts, and creative industries. Comparable as a larger established contemporary music educator with multi-campus reach and recognized credentials, representing the type of scaled incumbent EMCA's online channel would eventually face.

Direct peers

• Berklee College of Music: Boston-based global leader in contemporary music education whose methodology underpins EMCA's curriculum via the Souza Lima partnership. Directly comparable on contemporary/popular music pedagogy, credentialing, and target audience of aspiring professional musicians.
• Faculdade Souza Lima: São Paulo-based Brazilian contemporary music school that originated EMCA's teaching methodology. Directly comparable offering multi-year contemporary music programs aimed at professional musicianship, with the same Berklee-aligned curriculum lineage.
• EMMAT - Escuela de Música y Arte: Colombian contemporary music and arts school listed as a direct EMCA partner in the ALAEMUS network. Closely comparable in offering structured multi-year music programs with cross-institutional exchange opportunities in Latin America.
• Musicians Institute (MI): Hollywood-based contemporary music school focused on guitar, bass, drums, vocals, and music production for aspiring professional musicians. Closely comparable in contemporary-popular focus, instrument-based curriculum, and career-oriented outcomes.
• ProJazz: Chilean contemporary music institution listed as an EMCA partner within the ALAEMUS network. Directly comparable as a LATAM peer focused on contemporary/popular music training with international affiliations.
• Los Angeles College of Music (LACM): Los Angeles-based college offering multi-year contemporary music programs in performance, production, and composition. Directly comparable in targeting aspiring professional musicians with structured, industry-aligned curricula and active-artist faculty.
• TAMABA: Argentine contemporary music school listed as an EMCA partner within the ALAEMUS network. Directly comparable LATAM contemporary music institution with similar international affiliation structure and program offerings.

Emerging players

• Point Blank Music School: UK-based contemporary music school with strong online/digital delivery across production, DJing, singing, and instrumental performance. Comparable in targeting aspiring professional musicians and in operating an online delivery model that EMCA's forthcoming Cursos Online would compete with.

Regional players

• Conservatorio Nacional de Música del Perú: Lima-based Peruvian public conservatory offering traditional/classical music training. Comparable as a domestic music education option, but serves a different (classical) niche and operates under a public-mandate model rather than EMCA's contemporary-popular focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/emcaarequipa

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 EMCA - Escuela de Música Contemporánea de Arequipa