What Lehman Center for the Performing Arts does

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts is a 501(c)(3) non-profit performing arts venue located on the Lehman College campus in the Bronx, New York, operating a 2,265-seat concert hall (Local One venue). Founded circa 1980 and affiliated with the City University of New York (CUNY), the Center hosts over 100 events annually spanning R&B, classical ballet, Latin music, salsa, dance, and community programming. Its core audience is Bronx residents and wider New York City families, students, seniors, and non-profit organizations, with discounted admission tiers (children $5-10, students and seniors $5 off) and free community events such as the Salsa Under the Stars outdoor series.

The Center operates a diversified revenue model across four streams: ticket sales (via Ticketmaster, Eventbrite, and direct box office), venue rental to external event organizers for concerts, graduations, film shoots, and conferences, tax-deductible donations processed through PayPal with a tiered seat-naming program ($100-$1,500), and advertising/sponsorship including LED wall placements and dressing room naming rights. Subscription donation options and corporate sponsorship via the Seat Naming Program are designed to subsidize accessibility for underserved Bronx communities. The technology stack is limited to third-party ticketing platforms and PayPal with no proprietary platform or AI capabilities.

The organization is led by Executive Director Dante Albertie and governed by a Board of Directors, with a lean staff of 19 employees supported by dedicated Artistic Partnerships, Production/Technical, Theatre Management, Administrative Operations, and Marketing/Development functions. Recent strategic emphasis has been on expanding the premium VIP experience tier, growing the venue rental enterprise channel, and cultivating community partnerships (The Salsa Project, Lehman Stages, Havana Cafe) to broaden Bronx audience reach.

Name

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts

Legal name

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts

Website

https://lehmancenter.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts is a 501(c)(3) non-profit operating a 2,265-seat concert hall in the Bronx, New York, hosting 100+ events annually and serving Bronx families, students, seniors, and community partners through ticketed and free programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Venue

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

Keywords

• Performing arts venue
• Concert hall rentals
• Live event programming
• Community cultural events
• Ballet and concerts

Headquarters

HQ city

Bronx

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from ticket sales for performances and events hosted at the venue, with discounted pricing for children, seniors, and students.
2. Venue Rentals: Rental income from hosting external events including concerts, recitals, graduations, film/commercial shoots, seminars, and conferences at the 2,265-seat Local One venue.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations from patrons supporting the non-profit performing arts center. Seat naming program with plaques at various price points ($100-$1500). Monthly donation options available.
4. Advertising and Sponsorship: Additional funding opportunities including advertising, LED wall placements, and dressing room naming rights for corporate sponsors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts operates a 2,265-seat concert hall venue at Lehman College in the Bronx, hosting over 100 cultural events annually including R&B concerts, classical ballet, Latin music performances, and community salsa events. The venue is also available for rental to event organizers for concerts, recitals, graduations, film shoots, conferences, and fundraisers, supplemented by a tax-deductible donation program.

Product overview

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts is a non-profit 2,265-seat performing arts venue (a Local One venue) in the Bronx, New York, hosting over 100 events annually. The core offering is venue rental for various event types including concerts, recitals, graduations, film shoots, and conferences. The venue's event programming includes ticketed performances such as the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Swan Lake ballet, Ginuwine concert, La Sonora Carruseles salsa orchestra, Los Parceritos Colombian entertainment, and the community-focused free Salsa Under the Stars outdoor event. Revenue is supplemented by a donation program offering tax-deductible contributions and seat naming opportunities, with proceeds supporting discounted tickets for children, seniors, students, and non-profit organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lehman Center Venue Rental

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ events per season served by the Concert Hall
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• The Salsa ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for the Salsa Under the Stars community event, combining resources and audience reach for this outdoor dance party in the Bronx.
• Lehman StagesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for the Salsa Under the Stars community event, providing programming support for this collaborative cultural event.
• Havana CafeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent partner for Salsa Under the Stars, contributing to the food and beverage experience and marketing outreach for the community dance event.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• United Palace: A historic 3,300-seat performance venue in Manhattan (originally in Washington Heights area) presenting concerts, film, and spiritual events. Comparable in venue scale and mixed-use presenting model, though with different programming focus.

Emerging players

• Pregones / Puerto Rican Traveling Theater: A Bronx-based Latino theater company and venue presenting original performances. Comparable as a Bronx cultural institution with community-focused programming, though smaller in scale and primarily producing rather than presenting.

Direct peers

• Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM): A major multi-venue performing arts institution in Brooklyn presenting dance, music, theater, and film. BAM is comparable as a large-scale NYC presenting organization hosting diverse cultural programming, though with significantly larger budgets and brand recognition.
• New York City Center: A 2,500-seat Manhattan performance venue presenting dance, music, and theater across multiple seasons. Directly comparable to Lehman Center as a mid-large presenting venue with mixed-genre programming and accessible ticketing.
• The Town Hall: A historic NYC performance venue presenting diverse music, dance, and cultural programming. Comparable to Lehman Center in its role as a presenting venue serving varied cultural communities with ticket-driven revenue.
• Aaron Davis Hall: A performance venue at City College of New York (CUNY) in Harlem presenting cultural programming. Similar to Lehman Center as a CUNY-based presenting venue serving an urban community with diverse cultural offerings.
• Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture: A Bronx-based performing arts venue at Hostos Community College (CUNY) presenting music, dance, and theater. Highly comparable as a Bronx/CUNY-affiliated cultural presenting venue with similar community-focused programming.
• Kupferberg Center for the Arts: A performing arts center at Queens College/CUNY presenting concerts, theater, and family programming. Directly comparable as another CUNY-affiliated presenting venue with educational and community outreach missions.

Broad incumbents

• Jazz at Lincoln Center: A major NYC jazz presenting organization operating multiple performance venues at Columbus Circle. Comparable as a multi-venue presenting organization, but with significantly larger programming scale and institutional resources.
• Apollo Theater: A historic Harlem performance venue with national brand recognition presenting diverse programming. Comparable as a community-rooted presenting venue, but with significantly larger scale, donor base, and programming budget.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lehmancenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/lehmanpac
• Instagraminstagram.com/lehmancenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lehmancenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Lehman Center for the Performing Arts