SOUTHWEST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

What SOUTHWEST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA does

The Southwest Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is a community-based nonprofit symphony orchestra founded in spring 1964 by Alfred Aulwurm and Daniel Seyman in Oak Lawn, Illinois. It presents a seasonal concert series at its home venue, the 1,200-seat Martin and Janet Ozinga Chapel Auditorium on the campus of Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, with additional holiday performances hosted at partner churches across the southwest suburban Chicago region. The orchestra supplements its mainstage programming with education concerts for school groups, auditions for ensemble positions, and special fundraising events such as an annual luncheon gala and silent auction. Revenue and marketing rely on subscription packages, individual ticket sales (typically $20-$35), donations, program advertising, and the Adopt the SSO musician sponsorship program.

The organization operates a traditional nonprofit performing-arts revenue model with five streams: ticket sales (single and subscription, with subscriptions offering a 15% discount), individual gifts and donations, advertising in concert program books at quarter/half/full page placements, the Adopt the SSO sponsorship program at $100 per musician or instrument per season, and fundraising events including gala tickets priced from $30 to $700. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the organization's website and at-the-door sales, with marketing concentrated on the website, email, and phone outreach. The SSO is supported by funding from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and is a member of the Illinois Council of Orchestras, and it co-sponsors guest-artist appearances with the Beverly Foundation for the Performing Arts.

The orchestra has been led by three Music Directors in its 60-plus-year history: founder-conductor Alfred Aulwurm (through 1990/1991), David L. Crane (1992-2024, now Music Director Emeritus), and Brian Dollinger (2025, who departed after one season). The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors elected to three-year terms, with Rosanne Arnold serving as President, and is operationally led by Orchestra Manager Rachel Harvey and Stage Manager Joe Loeffler. SSO is registered in Illinois as a nonprofit with 33 employees, no parent company, no ownership stake, no venture investment, and no disclosed financial statements; the orchestra is currently conducting an open search for a permanent Music Director ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Name

SOUTHWEST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Legal name

Southwest Symphony Orchestra

Website

https://southwestsymphony.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Southwest Symphony Orchestra is a community nonprofit that presents seasonal orchestral concerts, education programming, and fundraising events from its 1,200-seat Ozinga Chapel home at Trinity Christian College, serving audiences across southwest suburban Chicago.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Symphony Orchestra / Performing Arts

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (711130)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Live orchestral performances
• Symphony concert tickets
• Community orchestra services
• Classical music performances
• Performing arts events

Headquarters

HQ city

Palos Heights

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from individual concert tickets and subscription packages. Subscriptions offer 15% discount over single ticket prices.
2. Individual Gifts and Donations: Individual donations and gifts from community members, businesses, and supporters to fund orchestra operations and programming.
3. Advertising and Sponsorship: Advertising in concert program books (quarter page, half page, full page options) for one concert, Christmas concerts only, or full season. Corporate sponsorship opportunities.
4. Adopt the SSO Program: Sponsorship program where supporters can sponsor a specific musician, instrument, or piece for $100 per season, receiving acknowledgment in programs.
5. Fundraising Events: Gala fundraiser events including luncheon concerts and silent auctions, with ticket prices ranging from $30 to $700.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Southwest Symphony Orchestra presents seasonal live symphonic concerts, primarily at the 1,200-seat Ozinga Chapel Auditorium at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois, with additional holiday performances at local church venues. It sells individual concert tickets and multi-concert subscription packages (15% savings), and supplements ticket revenue with education concerts for students, sponsor/advertising programs, and fundraising events such as gala luncheons and silent auctions.

Product overview

The Southwest Symphony Orchestra offers a single, unified service focused on live orchestral performances. The core offering consists of subscription concert packages and individual event tickets for regular season performances held at the Ozinga Chapel Auditorium at Trinity Christian College, supplemented by educational concerts for students. Additional revenue programs include audition services for musicians, sponsorship and advertising opportunities in concert programs, and fundraising activities such as galas and the Adopt the SSO sponsorship initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Season Subscription Packages Multi-concert subscription packages offering 15% savings off single-ticket prices. Package A includes five season concerts (Triumphant Beginnings, Imagination Lives, Holiday Cheer at St. Damian Church, Literature Comes to Life, and Ah...Tchaikovsky), and Package B covers a single holiday performance. Sold to community members and families in the southwest suburban Chicago region.
• Individual Concert Tickets Single-event tickets available for all SSO performances, with pricing ranging from free to $35 depending on the event, and holiday performances at church venues typically $20–$23. Sold to general public and community attendees through the website and at the door.
• Education Concert Educational orchestral concert designed for school-age audiences, featuring programming such as Brown's Wild Symphony performed by orchestra members at the Ozinga Chapel Auditorium. Targeted at school groups and students in the southwest suburban Chicago region.
• Orchestra Auditions Audition process for musicians to join the orchestra for the 2026-27 season, covering positions in violin, viola, French horn, trumpet, trombone, and bass sections. Auditions are held at Moraine Valley Community College. Open to skilled local and regional musicians.
• Sponsorship and Advertising Programs Advertising opportunities in SSO concert program books (quarter, half, and full page placements) available for one concert, Christmas concerts only, or the full season, plus the Adopt the SSO sponsorship program at $100 per musician, instrument, or piece per season with acknowledgment in programs. Sold to local businesses and individual supporters.
• Fundraising and Donation Programs Individual giving programs, fundraising events, and the annual Gala Luncheon Concert & Silent Auction with tickets ranging from $30 (concert only) to $700 (premium luncheon package). Available to community members, donors, and supporters to fund SSO operations and programming.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Trinity Christian CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Southwest Symphony Orchestra's home venue is the Martin and Janet Ozinga Chapel at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights. The orchestra performs in the college's 1,200-seat auditorium and collaborates with the college's music programs including the Concert Choir.
• Illinois Arts Council AgencycoreOthersIllinois state arts agency providing funding and support to the orchestra as part of their nonprofit arts programming.
• Illinois Council of OrchestrasminorOthersProfessional organization for orchestras in Illinois. The SSO is listed as a member/affiliate of this organization.
• Beverly Foundation for the Performing ArtsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored guest artist appearances by CSO musicians Baird Dodge and John Sharp during the New World Symphony and Double Concerto performance.
• Moraine Valley Community CollegeminorOthersAudition venue for the Southwest Symphony Orchestra. Also home to the Moraine Valley Chorale which collaborates with SSO on performances.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra: Community orchestra serving Aurora and the Fox Valley region of Illinois. Mirrors SSO in operating model: nonprofit community symphony with subscription tickets, educational outreach, and civic sponsorship programs.
• Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra: Regional orchestra based in the south suburbs of Chicago, overlapping geographic catchment with SSO. Direct peer in size, mission, and suburban Chicago subscription model.
• Lake Forest Symphony: Chicago North Shore community symphony offering multi-concert seasons with subscription packages and outreach concerts. Comparable peer in audience model, scale, and reliance on donor/subscription funding.
• New Philharmonic: Community orchestra based at the McAninch Arts Center in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Comparable to SSO as a suburban Chicago symphony with mixed classical/pops programming and community education concerts.
• DuPage Symphony Orchestra: Community-based symphony orchestra serving Chicago's western suburbs. Direct peer to SSO given comparable scale, suburban Chicago footprint, classical concert programming, and nonprofit subscription model with similar audience development focus.
• Elgin Symphony Orchestra: Regional professional/community symphony serving the Fox Valley area of Illinois. Comparable to SSO as another Illinois-based symphony offering subscription packages, special guest artists, and education outreach to local schools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southwest-symphony-orchestra

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 SOUTHWEST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA