Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra
The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1984 and the only professional symphony-with-chorus in Northern New Mexico, presenting 7-9 ticketed concerts per season and serving 300+ youth music students annually across orchestra, jazz, mariachi, choral, and early-childhood programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersSanta Fe, NM, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra does
The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 1984 by Gregory W. Heltman in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is the only professional symphony orchestra-with-chorus in Northern New Mexico, presenting 7-9 ticketed concerts per season from September through May at the Lensic Performing Arts Center, plus a Cathedral Series of free choral performances at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. Operations run on a cooperative governance model in which seven musicians hold seats on the Board of Directors; the orchestra is engaged on a per-service basis averaging 50 services per season, supported by a 90+ member chorus and a small staff of 1-10 administrative employees.
Revenue is generated through four streams: individual concert ticket sales (top ticket $109-$150 plus a $5 Lensic Preservation Fee and up to $6 handling fee), season subscriptions (newly formalized for 2026-2027), tax-deductible donations across multiple giving programs (Annual Gala, Adopt-A-Musician, Planned Giving, Business Partnerships), and education program tuition. The education arm — expanded materially by the Spring 2024 merger with the Santa Fe Youth Symphony Association — encompasses Orchestra, Jazz, Mariachi, Chamber Music, Choral, Mentoring & Lessons, Early Childhood (Lullaby Project, ¡Música para todos los niños!), the Instrument Project for rental, the Free Concerts Project for community engagement, and Santa Fe Public School mentoring reaching 150+ students. Collectively, these programs serve 300+ enrolled students annually, with 27% receiving financial aid.
The organization has no proprietary technology platform; its digital footprint consists of a WordPress website, an email newsletter, and a third-party online box office. Distribution is concentrated through the Lensic venue partnership, direct box-office sales (online and phone), and subscription packages. Leadership is headed by Executive Director Emma Scherer (appointed September 2021, from Lyric Opera of Chicago and Santa Fe Opera backgrounds); Music Director Guillermo Figueroa is transitioning to Music Director Laureate as of July 2025.
Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra
- Legal name
- The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
- Website
- https://santafesymphony.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1984 and the only professional symphony-with-chorus in Northern New Mexico, presenting 7-9 ticketed concerts per season and serving 300+ youth music students annually across orchestra, jazz, mariachi, choral, and early-childhood programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts / Live Classical Music
- NAICS
- Musical Groups and Artists (711130)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC)
Keywords
Where Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santa Fe, NM
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Concert Ticket Sales: Revenue from individual concert tickets, with prices ranging up to $109-$150 depending on the performance. Additional fees include handling fees (up to $6 per ticket) and Lensic Preservation Fee ($5 per ticket).
- Season Subscriptions: Subscription packages for the 2026-2027 Mainstage Series offering multiple concerts at discounted rates compared to individual ticket purchases.
- Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible contributions as a 501c(3) nonprofit organization. Multiple giving programs including Adopt-A-Musician, Annual Gala, Planned Giving, and Business Partnerships.
- Education Program Tuition: Year-round classes for students in Orchestra, Jazz, Mariachi, Chorus, Chamber Music, and Private Lessons. Financial aid available with 27% of students receiving assistance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Individual Concert Tickets |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus presents professional orchestral and choral concerts through its Mainstage Series at the Lensic Performing Arts Center and the free Cathedral Series at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. It also runs comprehensive year-round youth music education programs in orchestra, jazz, mariachi, chamber music, chorus, and private lessons, supplemented by instrument lending and free community concerts.
Product overview
The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus offers a unified portfolio of professional orchestral and choral concerts plus comprehensive youth music education programs. The concert offerings include the Mainstage Series at the Lensic Performing Arts Center and the Cathedral Series of free choral performances at the Cathedral Basilica. The education arm encompasses multiple Youth Programs (Orchestra, Jazz, Mariachi, Chamber Music, Choral, and Lessons), the Instrument Project for equipment rental, and Free Concerts Project for community engagement. The merger with Santa Fe Youth Symphony Association brought the Santa Fe Youth Symphony Orchestra into the organization. Together, these offerings serve over 300 students in youth programs, 150+ students in public school mentoring, and thousands through free concerts annually.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mainstage Series
- Cathedral Series
- Education Projects - Orchestra
- Education Projects - Jazz
- Education Projects - Mariachi
- Education Projects - Chamber Music
- Education Projects - Choral
- Education Projects - Mentoring & Lessons
- Instrument Project
- Free Concerts Project
- Santa Fe Youth Symphony Orchestra
Quantifiable outcome
- 300+ students enrolled in Youth Program classes annually
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Santa Fe Chamber Music FestivalcoreCollaboration for arts education initiatives, combining resources for enhanced youth music programming.
- Santa Fe Youth Symphony AssociationcoreMerger bringing Santa Fe Youth Symphony Association's award-winning youth programs under the Symphony's organizational umbrella, creating a more robust environment for music education and performance in Santa Fe.
- Santa Fe Children's MuseumminorPartnership for Lullaby Project where parents and musicians co-write personal lullabies for babies and toddlers, deepening early childhood music engagement.
- Kaune Early Learning CenterminorProvides ¡Música para todos los niños! music classes for 3-4 year olds focused on movement and social-emotional growth.
- The Lensic Performing Arts CentercoreHistoric theater (opened 1931, reopened as nonprofit 2001) serving as the primary venue for most Symphony season concerts. Hosts 200+ nights of programming annually.
- Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of AssisiminorRoman Catholic cathedral (built 1869-1886, elevated to basilica 2005) serving as venue for free choral concerts.
- Santa Fe Public SchoolscoreMusicians support public school music classrooms with sectionals, group and individual lessons, and specialized instruction, reaching 150+ students annually.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Las Vegas Philharmonic: Mid-size regional professional symphony operating in a tourism-dependent Southwestern market similar to Santa Fe. Comparable as a single-market symphonic organization with parallel performance and education programs.
- Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra: A Texas regional symphony with parallel professional orchestral and education programming. Comparable as a mid-size regional symphony with similar concert + community-engagement operations.
- El Paso Symphony Orchestra: Regional professional symphony serving El Paso, TX with season concerts and youth education/outreach. Comparable mid-size Southwest symphony with similar community-engagement mission.
- Tucson Symphony Orchestra: Regional professional symphony serving the Tucson, AZ market with season concerts and youth education. Comparable in scale, mission, and Southwest-market dynamics as a peer symphony outside the direct territory.
Broad incumbents
- Colorado Symphony: A larger Rocky Mountain-region professional symphony based in Denver with broader programming, education, and touring activity. Comparable as a regional symphony with similar performance + education model, but at meaningfully larger scale.
- Phoenix Symphony: A larger professional symphony based in Phoenix, AZ with full-season programming and broad education/outreach. Comparable as a Southwest metropolitan symphony but operates at meaningfully larger scale and budget.
- Santa Fe Opera: A leading performing-arts organization based in Santa Fe with substantially larger scale and budget. Comparable as a fellow Santa Fe performing-arts institution serving overlapping audiences, donors, and cultural-tourism demand, though opera-focused rather than symphonic.
- San Antonio Symphony: A Texas-based professional symphony offering a season concert series and youth education. Comparable mid-to-large regional symphony across the same broader Southwest cultural footprint.
Direct peers
- Albuquerque Philharmonic Orchestra: A community-based professional orchestra serving Albuquerque and the broader New Mexico market. Operates a season concert series and youth music programs analogous to Santa Fe Symphony's structure.
- New Mexico Philharmonic: The largest professional symphony in New Mexico, based in Albuquerque. Directly comparable as a regional professional orchestra offering season concerts, education programs, and youth ensembles in the same state.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra social profiles
Digital presenceSanta Fe Symphony Orchestra financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra
What does Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra do?
The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus presents professional orchestral and choral concerts through its Mainstage Series at the Lensic Performing Arts Center and the free Cathedral Series at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. It also runs comprehensive year-round youth music education programs in orchestra, jazz, mariachi, chamber music, chorus, and private lessons, supplemented by instrument lending and free community concerts.
Is Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra a public or private company?
Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra founded?
Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1984. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra based?
Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra is headquartered in Santa Fe, NM, United States, in the North America region.
How does Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Concert Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are season Subscriptions, donations and Fundraising and education Program Tuition.
Who are Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Las Vegas Philharmonic, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, El Paso Symphony Orchestra and Tucson Symphony Orchestra. Broad incumbents are Colorado Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Santa Fe Opera and San Antonio Symphony. Direct peers are Albuquerque Philharmonic Orchestra and New Mexico Philharmonic.
Does Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra have an API?
No public API is recorded for Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra.
What industry is Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra in?
Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra's product category is Performing Arts / Live Classical Music. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMANAC, Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir). Its NAICS code is 711130.