Ottawa Bach Choir

What Ottawa Bach Choir does

The Ottawa Bach Choir (OBC) is a professional choral ensemble founded in 2002 in Ottawa, Ontario, by Dr. Lisette Canton, who continues as Founder and Artistic Director. Operating as an independent non-profit arts organization, the OBC presents choral music spanning all historical periods with J.S. Bach's oeuvre at the center, performing a compact season of three main concerts per year at Ottawa venues including Christ Church Cathedral, Knox Presbyterian Church, St. François d'Assise Church, St. Patrick's Basilica, and the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre. The ensemble consists of professional choristers drawn from the National Capital Region and across Canada, and collaborates regularly with period-instrument specialists Ensemble Caprice and Theatre of Early Music for historically informed Baroque performances.

The OBC's product portfolio is centered on live concerts and commercial recordings. Earned offerings include individual concert tickets ($20-$60 with reserved, adult, senior, and student tiers plus free admission for children under 12), annual season subscriptions ($58.50-$162, with 15% early-bird and 10% regular discounts), and a catalogue of 8+ commercial CDs ($20 each) released primarily on the ATMA Classique label. The catalogue includes the JUNO Award-winning 'Handel: Dixit Dominus; Bach & Schütz: Motets' and 'Johann Sebastian Bach: Six Motets.' A Digital Concert Hall (Salle de Concert Numérique), powered by InPlayer, extends reach via virtual streaming. Fundraising comprises the Friends of the OBC patron program (six tiers from $20 to $10,000+), corporate sponsorship packages (six tiers from $500 to $10,000), and intimate hosted concerts ($75-$85 with tax receipts).

Revenue is diversified across earned ticket and merchandise sales, individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and a multi-jurisdictional public-funding stack (Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, City of Ottawa, Ontario Trillium Foundation). Distribution spans direct venue ticket sales, the WooCommerce online shop, physical retail (Compact Music and The Leading Note in Ottawa), and major digital streaming platforms. The OBC's primary customer segments are classical music enthusiasts, corporate sponsors/patrons, and the general Ottawa public. Its core technology is artistic rather than digital: historically informed performance practice with period instruments, supported by a lightweight streaming/SaaS stack rather than proprietary technology assets.

Name

Ottawa Bach Choir

Legal name

Ottawa Bach Choir

Website

https://ottawabachchoir.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Ottawa Bach Choir is a JUNO Award-winning professional choral ensemble founded in 2002 in Ottawa, Canada, that performs Baroque and classical choral repertoire centered on J.S. Bach, serving classical music patrons through live concerts, recordings, and international tours.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Choral Music

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Phonograph Records & Prerecorded Audio Tapes & Disks (3652)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Choral music performances
• Baroque choral repertoire
• Live concert performances
• Choral music recordings
• Music education outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

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. Concert Ticket Sales: Revenue from individual concert tickets and season subscriptions for performances held at various Ottawa venues including churches and concert halls.
2. Album/Recording Sales: Sale of CD recordings through the online shop, including discs like Cantate Domino, Johann Sebastian Bach: Six Motets, Handel: Dixit Dominus; Bach & Schütz: Motets, Jesu meine Freude, A Christmas Story, and Sacred and Profane.
3. Donations and Patronage: Tax-deductible donations through the Friends of the OBC program with multiple giving tiers (Andante $20-99, Animato $100-499, Allegro $500-2499, Vivace $2500-4999, Presto $5000-9999, Prestissimo $10000+).
4. Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship packages at various levels (Ouverture $500, Interlude $1000, Cadence $2500, Quatuor $5000, Coda $7500, Encore $10000) providing brand visibility and association with the choir's prestige.
5. Special Event Hosting: Revenue from hosting intimate concerts at private venues, with tickets at $75-85 including tax receipts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Ottawa Bach Choir is a professional choral ensemble that delivers live concert performances of choral music spanning all historical periods, with J.S. Bach's choral works at the center of its repertoire. It sells tickets for individual concerts and season subscriptions, distributes commercial CD recordings of its performances, runs a Digital Concert Hall for virtual streaming, and offers corporate sponsorship and patron donor programs to fund its non-profit operations.

Product overview

The Ottawa Bach Choir is a professional choral ensemble offering a portfolio of products centered on live concert performances and recorded music. Core offerings include individual concert tickets for performances spanning Baroque repertoire (Bach, Handel, Schütz), a Season Series subscription for the annual concert season, and a catalog of commercial recordings available for purchase (CDs priced at $20 each, concert tickets from $20-$60). Supporting products include a Digital Concert Hall for virtual streaming performances, Intimate Concert Series for private events, corporate Sponsorship Programs, and a Friends of the OBC patron/donor program. The choir's recordings span Bach motets, cantatas, and choral works from the Renaissance through Baroque periods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Touches over 10,000 people annually through performances in Ottawa region and beyond
• +2 more outcomes

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

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Canada Council for the ArtscoreOthersGovernment arts funding body providing operational and project support to the Ottawa Bach Choir.
• Ontario Arts CouncilcoreOthersProvincial arts council providing funding support for artistic programming and operations.
• City of OttawacoreOthersMunicipal government providing arts funding and community support.
• Trillium Foundation (Ontario)coreOthersOntario's largest primary healthcare funder supporting community resilience initiatives. Provided COVID-19 recovery funding.
• Ottawa Community FoundationminorOthersCommunity foundation providing charitable giving support.
• Lloyd Carr-Harris FoundationminorOthersFoundation providing arts and cultural support.
• Ensemble CapricecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning baroque orchestra based in Montreal that frequently collaborates with OBC on performances and recordings. Key partner for historically informed performances.
• Theatre of Early MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBaroque orchestra that collaborates with OBC on major performances including St. John Passion and Christmas Oratorio.
• ATMA ClassiquecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRecord label that distributes OBC's albums including the JUNO-winning Handel: Dixit Dominus; Bach & Schütz: Motets and Johann Sebastian Bach: Six Motets.
• Bachfest LeipzigflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld's most prestigious Bach festival in Germany. OBC has performed multiple times (2014, 2020 postponed to 2022, 2022, and invited for 2027) - the first Canadian vocal ensemble to participate.
• Chamberfest OttawacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOttawa's chamber music festival featuring OBC performances including 'Flights of Angels' program with motets by Bach, Bruckner, and contemporary composers.
• Carnegie HallminorOthersPrestigious New York concert venue where OBC has performed.
• Meet in BeijingminorOthersMajor international music festival in China where OBC performed as Canadian choral representative in 2016.
• Ars NovaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal arts organization that collaborates with OBC on special events like Bach et Bière.
• Kichesippi Beer Co.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal brewery providing beverages for Bach et Bière special events.
• German EmbassyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPreviously sponsored Bach et Bière events and cultural programming.
• Vancouver Chamber ChoircoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnother Canadian professional choir that collaborated with OBC on the Extravaganza Polychorale concert in March 2025.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Toronto Chamber Choir: Another Canadian professional chamber choir with comparable artistic profile but operating primarily in the Toronto/GTA market. Overlaps in audience type, repertoire, and funding sources but does not directly compete in Ottawa.

Direct peers

• Theatre of Early Music: Baroque orchestra that regularly co-performs with OBC on major Bach works (St. John Passion, Christmas Oratorio). Directly comparable in repertoire specialization, period-instrument approach, and Canadian touring footprint.
• Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra: Toronto-based period-instrument Baroque orchestra with choral performance programming. Comparable historically informed performance practice and similar Canadian institutional backing, audience, and funding profile.
• Vancouver Chamber Choir: Another leading Canadian professional chamber choir; recently collaborated with OBC on the Extravaganza Polychorale concert (March 2025). Directly comparable in scope, professional ensemble structure, and Canadian choral ecosystem.
• Ensemble Caprice: Montreal-based award-winning baroque orchestra that has collaborated with OBC on JUNO-winning recordings. Directly comparable in historically informed practice and recording-focused output on the ATMA Classique label.
• American Bach Choir (American Bach Society affiliates): US-based Bach-specialist choral organizations operating in the same niche historically informed Bach performance space, with similar subscription/donation revenue models.
• Bach Choir of Pittsburgh: American choral ensemble dedicated to Bach's choral works. Closely comparable in Bach-specific repertoire focus, professional choral structure, and nonprofit funding model.

Others

• Bachfest Leipzig: World's leading Bach festival in Germany where OBC has performed multiple times. Functions as a venue/ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor; relevant as a benchmark for elite international Bach programming.
• ATMA Classique: Canadian classical record label that distributes OBC's JUNO-winning albums. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler — peer relationship is that of channel partner/distributor within the Canadian classical recording ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC Music): National public broadcaster that commissions and broadcasts classical choral programming including OBC performances. Serves as both a distribution partner and a broader incumbent that shapes national choral audience reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-ottawa-bach-choir

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Ottawa Bach Choir