What South Bend Symphony Orchestra does

The South Bend Symphony Orchestra is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 1932 in South Bend, Indiana, operating as the recognized premier orchestral institution of the South Bend/Michiana region. Its functional offering centers on four concert series: the Jack M. Champaigne Masterworks Series and Indiana Trust Pops Series at the Morris Performing Arts Center, the June H. Edwards Mosaic Series at the University of Notre Dame's DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, and the Shein Trust Community Series of free community concerts. Underlying the performance business is a traditional symphonic capability (string, wind, brass, percussion sections) combined with one purpose-built proprietary innovation: the Octet: Immersive Audio System, a portable circular speaker arrangement developed during the pandemic that supports immersive listening experiences and is being explored for music therapy in schools, libraries, and healthcare settings. Supporting products include the Symphony-to-Go mobile ensemble program (String, Wind, and Brass Quintets), the Shein Trust Listen + Learn Chamber Music Series at the Saint Joseph County Public Library, the Shein Family Young People's Discovery Concerts for elementary schools, the Amadeus young professionals membership (ages 26-44 at $99/year), Symphony Happy Hour events at local venues, the annual Gift of Music Gala, the Project 1812 broadcast on WNIT Channel 34, and the Aha! With Alastair podcast. Revenue is generated through a hybrid nonprofit model combining ticket sales and subscriptions through Etix and DPAc ticketing, individual donations (including a monthly giving Metronome Club and the Ella Morris Society donor recognition tiers from $1,000 to $10,000+), corporate sponsorships beginning at $2,500 with major series-naming deals (Champaigne, Indiana Trust, Shein Trust), foundation and government grants (Community Foundation of St. Joseph County, Indiana Arts Commission, Venues Parks and Arts), gala fundraising, employer matching, planned giving, and ancillary programs such as the SOPHI valet bundle. The organization serves five primary constituencies: concert patrons, the general community, young professionals, corporate partners, and schools/educational institutions, with a 36-person staff and a roster of principal musicians including named-chair positions (Concertmaster, Principal Cello, Principal Horn).

Name

South Bend Symphony Orchestra

Legal name

South Bend Symphony Orchestra

Website

https://southbendsymphony.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1932

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The South Bend Symphony Orchestra is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1932 that performs four concert series and free community programs for the South Bend/Michiana region, funded through ticket sales, individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and grants, with outreach to over 10,000 students annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

South Bend

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, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Individual concert tickets and subscription series purchases sold through the Symphony box office, Etix, and DeBartolo Performing Arts Center (DPAc). Subscriptions offer guaranteed seats, priority renewal, and cost savings versus individual tickets.
2. Donations and Annual Fund: Tax-deductible charitable contributions to the Annual Fund supporting education, community engagement, and live concerts. The Symphony runs monthly giving (The Metronome Club via EFT), stock gifts, employer-matched gifts, memorial/tribute gifts, and planned giving (Edwyn H. Hames Society bequest society). Corporate sponsorships begin at $2,500 for concert series naming rights.
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate partners sponsor individual concerts or entire series (Masterworks, Pops, Mosaic, Community, Happy Hour, Home for the Holidays, MLK Day). Benefits include logo recognition, premium seats, meet-and-greet opportunities, and social media promotion. Corporate sponsorships begin at $2,500.
4. Gift of Music Gala: Annual fundraising gala with tiered sponsorship packages (Presenting Sponsor $20,000, Diamond $15,000, Platinum $10,000, Gold $5,000, Silver $2,500, Patron $500–$1,000). Includes premium tickets, recognition, and exclusive events.
5. Ticket Donations to Non-Profits: The Symphony donates tickets to non-profit organizations for their fundraisers, subject to guidelines (90-day advance request, one donation per organization per season). This is a community goodwill program rather than a revenue driver.
6. Ella Morris Society Membership: Donor recognition society for annual contributions of $1,000+. Tiers: Platinum ($10,000+), Gold ($5,000–$9,999), Silver ($2,500–$4,999), Bronze ($1,500–$2,499), Conductor's Circle ($1,000–$1,499). Includes lounge access, exclusive events, and premium ticketing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The South Bend Symphony Orchestra produces and presents live orchestral performances across four main concert series—the Jack M. Champaigne Masterworks Series, Indiana Trust Pops Series, June H. Edwards Mosaic Series, and Shein Trust Community Series—performed at the Morris Performing Arts Center, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, and community venues. The organization also delivers music education and community engagement programs including Symphony-to-Go mobile ensembles, library chamber concerts, and Young People's Discovery Concerts for elementary students. Revenue is generated through ticket sales, subscriptions, individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and grants.

Product overview

The South Bend Symphony Orchestra operates as a performing arts organization offering a portfolio of concert series, education programs, and community engagement initiatives. The core product consists of four main concert series: the Jack M. Champaigne Masterworks Series (classical orchestral repertoire), Indiana Trust Pops Series (film scores, Broadway, popular music), June H. Edwards Mosaic Series (chamber music at DeBartolo Performing Arts Center), and Shein Trust Community Series (free admission community concerts). Supporting offerings include the annual Gift of Music Gala fundraiser, Happy Hour social events, Amadeus young professionals membership, and educational programs including Symphony-to-Go mobile ensembles, Listen + Learn chamber series, and Young People's Discovery Concerts for students. Innovation initiatives include the Octet immersive audio system and Project 1812 broadcast. The Symphony also produces the Aha! With Alastair podcast series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jack M. Champaigne Masterworks Series

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 students reached annually through live symphonic music experiences
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Venues Parks and Arts (South Bend)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of South Bend cultural authority that partners with the Symphony for venue support and cultural programming in the community.
• Morris Performing Arts CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary venue partner for Masterworks, Pops, and Community Series concerts. Located at 211 N. Michigan St., South Bend, IN 46601. The Symphony performs most of its major concerts at this venue.
• DeBartolo Performing Arts Center (Notre Dame)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for the June H. Edwards Mosaic Series and family-friendly concerts. Located at 100 Performing Arts Center, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN 46556-4600.
• WVPE-FM 88.1minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBroadcast partner for the Chris Wilson Community Play-Along Concert, simulcasting the performance on public radio at 6 p.m.
• PBS Michiana (WNIT)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPublic television partner that broadcast Project 1812 (Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture program) on WNIT Channel 34, including a broadcast in conjunction with the Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night Concert.
• Saint Joseph County Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for the Shein Trust Listen + Learn Chamber Music Series. Concerts are held at The Story House at the Main Library.
• South Bend Area Music Teachers Association (SBAMTA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as Education & Community Engagement sponsor, likely supporting music education initiatives.
• University of Notre DameminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center and a cultural partner, with the Symphony performing subscription concerts on the Notre Dame campus.
• Hammer & Quill, Salvation, Jesús Latin GrillminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal South Bend venues that host Symphony Happy Hour events featuring chamber ensemble performances.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra: Major regional symphony with educational and community programming overlaps. South Bend Music Director Alastair Willis previously served as Assistant Conductor, providing an established leadership pipeline tie.
• Detroit Symphony Orchestra: Larger major Midwest symphony with subscription series, education programs, and corporate sponsorships. Serves as an upper-tier benchmark for what the South Bend Symphony could aspire to artistically and organizationally.

Regional players

• Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra: Major regional symphony orchestra in Indiana offering similar subscription series, education programs, and community engagement. Most directly comparable in-state peer with overlapping geographic catchment and donor pool.
• Grand Rapids Symphony: Michigan-based regional symphony with closely analogous programming, education initiatives, and community engagement footprint. Comparable in scale to the South Bend Symphony.
• Toledo Symphony Orchestra: Mid-sized Midwest regional symphony serving a comparable metropolitan area with parallel concert series, education programs, and corporate sponsorship structure. Similar operational scale and donor base composition.
• Elgin Symphony Orchestra: Mid-sized professional regional orchestra with parallel subscription and education programming. Comparable in budget tier and Midwest-market positioning.

Direct peers

• Illinois Symphony Orchestra: Regional Illinois symphony previously led by current South Bend Music Director Alastair Willis. Comparable artistic scope, community education model, and operating scale.
• Fort Wayne Philharmonic: Northeast Indiana regional symphony orchestra with similar orchestra size, Masterworks/Pops subscription structure, education outreach, and nonprofit fundraising model. Closest peer in scale and program mix.
• Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra: Indiana symphony with overlapping leadership history (Tsung Yeh served as Music Director) and similar community programming model. Strong operational and artistic parallel.

Others

• South Bend Symphony Orchestra (cross-ref: Morris Performing Arts Center): Primary venue partner operating the Morris Performing Arts Center where the Symphony delivers most of its subscription series. Indirectly comparable as a co-dependent presenting/performing arts institution in the South Bend market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SouthBendSymphony
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southbendsymphony
• Instagraminstagram.com/southbendsymphony

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 South Bend Symphony Orchestra