Metropolitan Winds

What Metropolitan Winds does

Metropolitan Winds is a volunteer civic wind ensemble organized as a Texas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit and founded in 1993 by composer Randol Bass. The organization fields a band of up to 35 auditioned wind, brass, and percussion musicians drawn from the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, including band directors, students, retirees, business people, and music teachers. It operates a public concert series of approximately 6–7 performances per year at venues including Moody Performance Hall in downtown Dallas, Little Elm High School, Christ United Methodist Church, Lewisville Grand Theater, and NorthPark Center, and it offers smaller chamber ensembles (Saxophone Quartet, Wind Quintet, Clarinet Choir, Dixieland Group) for private hire at weddings, banquets, and receptions.

The ensemble differentiates on a curated repertoire of film score wind transcriptions from Hollywood composers such as John Williams and Bruce Broughton, classical transcriptions, contemporary wind band literature, and original works composed by its founding director. It is a member in good standing of the Association of Concert Bands, ASCAP, and BMI, and its Music Director Frank Felice (appointed June 2022) is also Director of Fine Arts for Little Elm ISD. There is no proprietary technology platform; operations are coordinated through a Squarespace website, email, social media, and standard payment processors.

Revenue is generated from individual donations (tiered from $1 to $751+), corporate sponsorships, the North Texas Giving Day campaign (with bonus funds from the Communities Foundation of Texas), a Tom Thumb rewards-card affiliate program, and for-hire ensemble engagements for corporate and private clients. Pricing for hired performances is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, and the organization is governed by a volunteer board of directors with no reported venture, private equity, or institutional ownership.

Name

Metropolitan Winds

Legal name

Metropolitan Winds

Website

https://metropolitanwinds.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Metropolitan Winds is a 501(c)(3) civic wind ensemble founded in 1993 in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, presenting 6–7 public concerts annually and offering for-hire ensemble performances for corporate and private events, funded by donations, sponsorships, and ensemble hire fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Live Music Performance

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (711130), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC)

Keywords

• Civic wind ensemble
• Live concert performances
• Ensemble hire services
• Community wind band
• Chamber music performances

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ensemble Performance Fees: The Metropolitan Winds provides for-hire ensemble performances to corporate and private clients. Medium ensembles of up to 35 musicians perform Broadway and Movie Medleys, light popular fare at events. Smaller ensembles (Saxophone Quartet, Wind Quintet, Clarinet Choir, Dixieland Group) are available for weddings, banquets, and receptions.
2. Donations and Sponsorships: Tax-deductible donations from individuals at various tiers (Fortississimo $751+, Fortissimo $500-750, Forte $250-499, Mezzo-forte $100-249, Mezzo-piano $1-99). Corporate sponsors receive recognition on website and concert programs.
3. Retail Partner Program: Tom Thumb rewards card program where customers designate a percentage of purchases to support Metropolitan Winds.
4. North Texas Giving Day: Participation in North Texas Giving Day campaign through Communities Foundation of Texas, qualifying for additional funds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Metropolitan Winds is a volunteer civic wind ensemble that delivers live concert band performances through public concerts (6–7 annually across the DFW metroplex) and paid ensemble hire services. Full bands of up to 35 musicians perform Broadway medleys, film score transcriptions, and light popular fare at corporate galas, while smaller chamber ensembles (Saxophone Quartet, Wind Quintet, Clarinet Choir, Dixieland Group) are available for weddings, banquets, and receptions. The organization is funded by these performance fees, individual donations, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

Metropolitan Winds is a civic wind ensemble offering three primary services: full concert band performances (up to 35 musicians) for gala events, small chamber ensemble performances (Saxophone Quartet, Wind Quintet, Clarinet Choir, Dixieland Group) for intimate occasions, and a public concert series of approximately 6-7 performances annually featuring classical, contemporary, and pops repertoire.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Full Wind Ensemble Performances
• Small Ensemble Performances

Named customers4 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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Tom ThumbminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRetail partner program where Tom Thumb customers can designate a percentage of their rewards card purchases to support Metropolitan Winds. Customers set up their accounts using a designated form.
• North Texas Giving Day / Communities Foundation of TexascoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual participation in North Texas Giving Day, which allows Metropolitan Winds to qualify for additional bonus funds from the Communities Foundation of Texas based on donations received during the campaign.
• Town of Little ElmcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Metropolitan Winds, providing support for community arts programming and performances at Little Elm venues.
• SafewayminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor providing retail-based support for the arts organization.
• PayPal and VenmominorOthersDigital payment platforms used for accepting donations via PayPal.me/metwinds and Venmo @MetWinds
• Association of Concert Bands (ACB)coreOthersMetropolitan Winds is a member of the Association of Concert Bands, a national organization supporting community wind ensembles.
• Little Elm Independent School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing rehearsal and performance venues at Little Elm High School. The ensemble's Music Director Frank Felice serves as Director of Fine Arts for the district.
• Dallas Office of Arts and CultureminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCity of Dallas arts office providing support and recognition for the performing arts organization.
• NorthPark CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShopping venue in Dallas that hosts Metropolitan Winds performances, providing audience access and community visibility.
• Moody Performance HallcoreOthersDowntown Dallas performance venue that is one of the main concert locations for Metropolitan Winds.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Virginia Wind Symphony: Civic wind ensemble based in Virginia performing classical transcriptions, contemporary works, and pops for public concerts and special events. Closely mirrors Metropolitan Winds' repertoire mix and community band model.
• San Antonio Municipal Band: Historic Texas civic wind ensemble performing public concerts in the San Antonio area. Comparable as a long-running, community-focused wind band in the same state.
• Northshore Concert Band: Community wind band in suburban Chicago that performs a multi-concert public season with a mix of classical, pops, and film repertoire. Closely comparable civic band model with auditioned volunteer membership.
• Austin Symphonic Band: Texas-based civic wind ensemble founded in 1982 that performs classical and contemporary wind band works. Founder Randol Bass was previously Music Director and Conductor, making it a closely linked civic band peer.
• American Wind Symphony Orchestra: Long-running American civic wind ensemble known for touring performances and a broad classical-to-contemporary repertoire. Comparable in mission as a professional-sounding, volunteer-driven concert band.
• Atlanta Community Wind Symphony: Community wind ensemble serving the Atlanta metro area with auditioned volunteer members and a regular public concert series. Directly analogous civic band operating model to Metropolitan Winds.
• Lone Star Wind Orchestra: The premier civic wind ensemble in the DFW metroplex (formerly Dallas Wind Symphony), performing a similar classical, contemporary, and pops repertoire for hire and public concerts. Most direct geographic and product overlap with Metropolitan Winds.
• Houston Symphonic Band: Texas-based civic wind band that performs public concerts across the greater Houston area. Geographic and operational peer to Metropolitan Winds with a similar volunteer-musician civic structure.

Emerging players

• University of North Texas Wind Symphony: Acclaimed academic wind ensemble at the University of North Texas that competes for DFW donors, audiences, and wind-band talent. Intersects with Metropolitan Winds on repertoire and DFW visibility but operates as a degree-granting university program.

Broad incumbents

• Dallas Symphony Orchestra: Major regional full orchestra headquartered in Dallas serving the same DFW market for live classical and pops performances. Overlaps with Metropolitan Winds on audience, donor base, and venue (Moody Performance Hall), but with a much broader artistic scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/metropolitan-winds

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Metropolitan Winds