What Emmanuel Music does

Emmanuel Music is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) non-profit performing arts organization founded in 1970 by Craig Smith, serving as the ensemble-in-residence at Emmanuel Church at 15 Newbury Street in Boston's Back Bay. The organization presents weekly J.S. Bach cantatas within their original liturgical context during Sunday Eucharist services from September through May, supplemented by mainstage concerts, the Bach Institute January Intensive, the Lindsey Chapel Series, and the Breathe with Bach community outreach program at Boston Public Library locations. Emmanuel Music is described in source materials as the only organization in the world that regularly performs Bach's cantatas within the liturgical context for which they were intended.

The organization runs three principal programmatic arms: (1) the weekly cantata series and mainstage concerts, delivering 40+ free performances per season; (2) the Bach Institute under Pamela Dellal, which provides the Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Fellowship program (training 160+ young artists), Cantata Conversations, and the January Winter Intensive Workshop; and (3) the Motet Commissioning Project, launched in 2020, which has commissioned and premiered 25+ new choral works. Emmanuel Music maintains and publishes widely-used scholarly resources including Bach Notes and Translations covering cantatas BWV 1-250+, used by students and musicians globally. The ensemble is led by Artistic Director Ryan Turner (who completed the first comprehensive cycle of Bach's 200 sacred cantatas in May 2023), Executive Director Vanessa Holroyd, and a Board chaired by Charles Blandy.

Revenue mechanics are characteristic of a mid-sized arts non-profit: approximately 75% of programming is funded by individual philanthropy (one-time and recurring gifts, planned giving through the Legacy Society, bequests), with supplemental income from corporate sponsorships at $1,000-$15,000 tiers, foundation grants, and occasional ticketed mainstage concerts. The audience/customer base comprises classical music enthusiasts attending free performances, emerging artists seeking fellowship training, and philanthropists supporting Boston's cultural landscape. Distribution occurs through the Emmanuel Church venue, YouTube livestreams to global audiences, partner venues (MIT's Thomas Tull Concert Hall, Tufts' Distler Hall, Goethe Institut-Boston), and Boston Public Library neighborhood branches.

Name

Emmanuel Music

Legal name

Emmanuel Music

Website

https://emmanuelmusic.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Emmanuel Music is a 501(c)(3) classical music ensemble-in-residence at Emmanuel Church in Boston, presenting weekly Bach cantatas in liturgical context and running the Bach Institute and Motet Commissioning Project. Founded in 1970, it serves patrons, emerging musicians, and Boston audiences through 40+ free performances annually, funded primarily by individual philanthropy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

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. Individual Philanthropy: The primary funding source at 75% of total funding. Individual donors support the organization through one-time and recurring gifts, with programs 75% funded by individual philanthropy.
2. Corporate Underwriting and Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships at multiple tiers ($1,000-$15,000) with benefits including logo placement, eblast mentions, social media recognition, and program advertising reaching 32,000 impressions per season.
3. Ticket Sales and Donations: Free admission to cantata performances with voluntary donations encouraged. Mainstage concerts and special events may have ticket prices. Online donation portal available.
4. Planned Giving and Estate Gifts: Bequests and estate plan gifts as part of Legacy Society, allowing donors to include Emmanuel Music in their wills or as beneficiary of retirement accounts or life insurance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Emmanuel Music is a non-profit classical music organization that performs Bach's sacred cantatas weekly during the Sunday Eucharist service at Emmanuel Church in Boston, as the Ensemble in Residence. Founded in 1970, it delivers 40+ free performances each season along with mainstage concerts, educational programs through the Bach Institute, new choral commissions via the Motet Commissioning Project, and community outreach through Breathe with Bach at Boston Public Library locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Bach Institute: An educational division providing engagement with Bach's music through presentations, participatory activities, Cantata Conversations, Breathe with Bach, and the January Winter Intensive Workshop.
• Motet Commissioning Project

Products and services

• Weekly Bach Cantata Performance Series Weekly performance of Bach's sacred cantatas during the Sunday Eucharist at Emmanuel Church, running September through May each season. Free admission with voluntary donations encouraged. This is the only organization in the world that regularly performs Bach's cantatas within the liturgical context for which they were intended.
• Mainstage Concert Series Mainstage concerts featuring larger-scale classical music works presented each season alongside the weekly cantata series, performed by the ensemble and guest artists.
• Bach Institute January Intensive Workshop An annual intensive educational workshop offered each January by the Bach Institute for emerging and professional musicians, providing deep engagement with Bach's music through participatory activities and presentations.
• Motet Commissioning Project A commissioning program launched in 2020 that premieres new choral motets by contemporary composers, with each work reflecting themes of the weekly Bach cantatas. Over 25 new vocal works have been added to the choral repertoire through this project.
• Breathe with Bach Community Outreach Community engagement program offering live Bach performances at Boston Public Library neighborhood branches across the city, bringing classical music to broader community audiences.
• Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Fellowship Program Fellowship program established in 2005 that has provided free training to 160+ emerging young artists through the Bach Institute, supporting the next generation of classical musicians.
• Cantata Conversations Educational discussion series led by the Bach Institute Director offering deep dives into Bach's cantatas with access to rehearsals, designed to engage both seasoned listeners and newcomers to classical music.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40 free performances provided each season
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MIT Chamber ChoruscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Errollyn Wallen's Dido's Ghost premiere, combining Emmanuel Music's ensemble with MIT Chamber Chorus for this chamber opera production at Thomas Tull Concert Hall, MIT.
• Boston Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership for the Breathe with Bach program, bringing live music performances to Boston Public Library neighborhood branches across the city.
• Goethe Institut-BostonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partner for the Winterreise Experience, hosting the original Schubert Winterreise performance.
• Tufts UniversityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partner for the Winterreise Experience, hosting the Schubert/Zender Winterreise at Distler Hall.
• Emmanuel ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSymbiotic relationship as Ensemble in Residence. Emmanuel Music presents weekly Bach cantatas as part of Emmanuel Church's Sunday liturgical services, with the two organizations maintaining close partnership crucial to each entity's success.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Boston Symphony Orchestra:

Direct peers

• Trinity Church Wall Street (Concerts at Trinity): NYC Episcopal parish with a professional choral and Baroque ensemble that performs Bach cantatas within liturgical services. Direct peer given near-identical liturgical-Bach-performance model and choral commissioning activity.
• Handel and Haydn Society: Boston-based Baroque and Classical choral/instrumental ensemble founded in 1815, performing historically-informed sacred and orchestral repertoire. Direct peer given shared Boston base, choral/Baroque focus, and similar nonprofit operating model.
• Bachfest Leipzig: International Bach festival founded around Bach's legacy in Leipzig. Direct peer given its Bach-centric programming, presentation of Emmanuel Music's commissioned motets, and overlapping scholarly audience.
• Boston Baroque: Greater Boston period-instrument orchestra focused on Baroque and Classical repertoire. Direct peer sharing the Boston market, classical/baroque focus, and nonprofit subscription model.
• Apollo's Fire (Cleveland Baroque Orchestra): Period-instrument Baroque ensemble with a touring, recording, and education model. Direct peer in mission and Baroque-repertoire focus, though region differs.

Regional players

• Portland Baroque Orchestra: Pacific Northwest period-instrument orchestra with choral collaborations. Comparable in Baroque focus and nonprofit structure, but does not directly compete in the Boston/Northeast market.

Emerging players

• Oregon Bach Festival: University-affiliated Bach festival with choral and orchestral programming. Comparable through Bach-centric mission and commissioning/education activities, but operates in a festival rather than weekly liturgical format.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@EmmanuelMusicBoston
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/emmanuel-music

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Emmanuel Music