Line Upon Line

What Line Upon Line does

Line Upon Line (legally line upon line percussion inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional percussion trio founded in 2009 at The University of Texas at Austin by Matthew Teodori. The ensemble is composed of original members Cullen Faulk and Matthew Teodori, with Adam Bedell serving as emeritus member; Matthew Teodori is the sole full-time Executive Director. Its stated mission is to foster musical creativity through championing living composers. The ensemble operates a core product set spanning live performance of contemporary percussion works, university composer residencies at institutions including Harvard, Stanford, UT Austin, Cal Poly, UC Santa Cruz, Kunstuniversität Graz, and Monash, the annual Austin Winter Music Festival, educational workshops and teaching engagements at conservatories, and recorded output distributed through albums (Spotify, Bandcamp), a YouTube video archive, and a Composer Interviews podcast on SoundCloud. Geographic reach covers eight countries (USA, Australia, UK, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, France, Switzerland) and 26 US states.

The business model is a multi-stream nonprofit revenue structure rather than a traditional commercial GTM. Revenue is generated from commissioned works and performance fees at universities and festivals, festival participation fees (Austin Winter Music Festival offers de minimis composer stipends of $250-$500), tax-deductible donations from individual supporters, and organizational grants. Named institutional funders include the Rea Charitable Trust (providing $25,000+ contributions), Texas Commission on the Arts, City of Austin Cultural Arts Division, The Amphion Foundation, and The Ditson Fund, with minor corporate sponsorships from Majestic Percussion, Vic Firth, Remo, and Sabian providing equipment support. Distribution is event-driven and relationship-driven: direct booking for residencies and performances, university partnerships, festival appearances, and a year-round Austin concert series at venues including Blanton Museum and Fusebox Festival. Marketing relies on the ensemble's website (lineuponlinepercussion.org), Mailchimp newsletters, social media (YouTube, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, Spotify), and earned media coverage in outlets including Austin Chronicle, Austin American-Statesman, and NewMusicBox.org. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors (including Paul Barr, Dr. Constantin Basica, Dr. Julie Herndon, Alexandra Shaw, Dr. Joshua Straub, and Travis Power) and an Advisory Board of music professionals.

Name

Line Upon Line

Legal name

line upon line percussion inc.

Website

https://lineuponlinepercussion.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Line Upon Line is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit percussion trio founded in 2009 in Austin, TX that premieres contemporary works by living composers, performs and teaches at universities and festivals across eight countries and 26 states, and operates the annual Austin Winter Music Festival.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Contemporary Music

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)

akta.pro primary industry

Session Musicians & Vocalists (MPAIAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC), Music Producers & Production Teams (MPAIAHAB)

Keywords

• Contemporary percussion ensemble
• New music performances
• Composer residency programs
• Percussion education services
• Music festival organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, the ensemble relies on tax-deductible donations from individual supporters and organizational sponsors
2. Performance Fees and Commissions: Revenue generated from commissioned works, performance fees at universities and festivals, and residency programs
3. Festival Participation Fees: Stipends and fees from the Austin Winter Music Festival, including composer participation and recording services

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Line Upon Line is a percussion trio that performs contemporary and experimental music, premieres new works by living composers, conducts university residencies and workshops at conservatories, and runs the annual Austin Winter Music Festival. The ensemble also produces recorded music (albums, video archives, and composer interviews) and accepts commissions from living composers.

Product overview

Line Upon Line is a percussion trio based in Austin, TX, founded in 2009 at The University of Texas at Austin. The ensemble offers live performances of contemporary percussion music, operates the annual Austin Winter Music Festival for composers, provides educational workshops at universities and conservatories, and produces recorded music through albums and videos. The organization functions as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with support from individual donors and institutional sponsors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Performances Percussion trio performances of contemporary and experimental compositions at festivals, universities, and concert venues in the US and abroad.
• Austin Winter Music Festival

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of new works premiered
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Majestic PercussionminorOthersCorporate sponsor providing percussion equipment support
• Vic FirthminorOthersCorporate sponsor providing drumsticks and mallets
• RemominorOthersCorporate sponsor providing drum heads and percussion equipment
• SabianminorOthersCorporate sponsor providing cymbals

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Yarn/Wire: Piano-and-percussion contemporary music ensemble commissioning new works from living composers. Overlaps in the new-music percussion commissioning and performance niche.
• percussion group Cincinnati: Cincinnati-based contemporary percussion ensemble active in commissioning and education. Comparable in scale and in shared pursuit of university and festival engagements.
• red fish blue fish: UC San Diego-affiliated contemporary percussion ensemble with comparable remit of premiering new works and hosting composer residencies. Overlaps in repertoire focus and academic-residency model.
• Eighth Blackbird: Chicago-based contemporary chamber ensemble that commissions extensively and tours internationally. Overlaps in living-composer commissioning, university residencies, and multimedia performance format.
• Sandbox Percussion: New York-based percussion quartet focused on new music and composer collaborations with active commissioning and recording programs. Directly comparable scale and mission.
• Sō Percussion: Brooklyn-based contemporary percussion quartet that pioneered the collaborative composer-residency model that directly inspired Line Upon Line. Closest comparable in mission, repertoire focus, and university-residency-driven business model.
• Third Coast Percussion: Chicago-based Grammy-winning percussion quartet commissioning and performing new works. Comparable as a contemporary percussion ensemble that competes for the same residencies, festivals, and commissioning dollars.

Regional players

• Amadinda Percussion Ensemble: Hungary-based contemporary percussion quartet with a long-running new-music focus. Comparable in repertoire niche but operates primarily in the European market where Line Upon Line also tours.
• Kroumata Percussion Ensemble: Sweden-based percussion ensemble focused on contemporary repertoire. Comparable in percussion-led new-music mission, primarily serving the Nordic/European festival circuit.

Broad incumbents

• Alarm Will Sound: Larger contemporary chamber orchestra with a strong commissioning program. Comparable in championing living composers and producing recordings, though broader in instrumentation and scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@lineuponlinepercussion
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/line-upon-line

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Line Upon Line