Young Artists of America

What Young Artists of America does

Young Artists of America (YAA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 45-0643746) founded in 2011 in North Bethesda, Maryland, that delivers performing arts training programs for students in grades 3 through 12 across the Washington DC Metro area. YAA operates four year-round performance ensembles (YAAKids grades 4-5, YAAJunior grades 6-8, YAACompany grades 9-12, YAAOrchestra grades 9-12) and a portfolio of Summer Performing Arts Intensives spanning daytime academy programs, overnight conservatory programs, and specialized tracks in acting, dance, and technical theatre. Productions are staged at professional venues including Strathmore's Music Center, The Clarice at the University of Maryland, Capital One Hall, and the Kennedy Center, with full symphonic accompaniment for major mainstage shows.

The organization's product model combines recurring training ensembles with seasonal intensive programs (tuition $1,145-$4,595 per student). Its underlying technology stack is composed entirely of third-party SaaS platforms rather than proprietary technology: Acceptd and Active.com for audition registration and enrollment, GiveButter and Little Green Light for donation processing, Shopify for merchandise, Squarespace for the website, and Mailchimp/Constant Contact for email marketing. COPPA compliance is maintained for handling data of students under 13.

Revenue comes from four streams: program tuition (largest), donations and charitable contributions (including an annual fund, capital campaigns, foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and planned gifts), ticket sales at professional venues, and merchandise. YAA is governed by a Board of Directors led by President Richard Gervase, with executive leadership comprising Executive Director Lisa Larragoite, Producing Artistic Director Rolando Sanz, and Music Director Kristofer Sanz. The organization has 23 employees and is currently raising $8 million via its Building Dreams Campaign to develop a permanent 10,604 sq ft facility at 1626 East Jefferson Street in Rockville, MD (over 60% funded as of latest disclosure, opening targeted for first half 2027).

Name

Young Artists of America

Legal name

Young Artists of America, Inc.

Website

https://yaa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Young Artists of America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 that delivers year-round musical theater and orchestral training programs plus summer performing arts intensives for grades 3-12 students in the Washington DC Metro area, staging full-scale productions at professional venues including Strathmore and The Kennedy Center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Instruction (Instrumental & Vocal) (EDAMAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts & Music Lessons (Dance, Drumming, Instrument Lessons, Theater) (THAJAKAC), Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC)

Keywords

• Youth performing arts training
• Musical theater programs
• Youth orchestra education
• Summer performing arts intensives
• Nonprofit arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

N. Bethesda, Maryland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Tuition: YAA generates primary revenue through tuition fees for its summer performing arts intensives and year-round training programs. Tuition varies by program (Kids Academy $1,145-$1,195, Academy programs $2,045-$2,795, Conservatory programs $3,845-$4,595).
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, YAA relies on individual donor contributions, foundation grants, and corporate sponsorships. The organization runs an annual fund (The Fifteen Fund targeting $250,000), capital campaigns (Building Dreams at $8 million), and accepts stock donations, IRA transfers, and planned gifts.
3. Ticket Sales: Revenue from performances at professional venues including Strathmore, The Clarice, and Capital One Hall. Tickets are sold through venue box offices and YAA's website.
4. Merchandise Sales: YAA Store sells branded merchandise through Shopify platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Young Artists of America provides year-round and summer performing arts training programs for elementary through high school students in the Washington DC Metro area, including musical theater ensembles, orchestral training, and dance/acting instruction. Programs culminate in fully-staged productions performed with a full symphony orchestra at professional venues such as Strathmore and The Clarice. The organization also runs a mentorship program connecting students with working professional artists, year-round classes and workshops, and an alumni network.

Product overview

Young Artists of America (YAA) is a nonprofit performing arts training organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs for elementary through high school students. The core offerings include four year-round performance ensembles: YAACompany (grades 9-12), YAAOrchestra (grades 9-12), YAAJunior (grades 6-8), and YAAKids (grades 4-5). The Summer Performing Arts Intensives (SPAI) program encompasses multiple tracks including Kids Academy, Junior Academy, Senior Academy (daytime programs), Junior Conservatory, Senior Conservatory (overnight programs), Tech Theatre Intensive, Acting Intensive, and Dance Intensive. Additional offerings include Classes & Workshops, the Mentorship Program, Alumni Network, and YAA Navigator. The organization produces large-scale theatrical productions with full symphony orchestras at professional venues including Strathmore and The Kennedy Center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• YAACompany: Performance ensemble for grades 9-12 for actors, singers, dancers
• YAAOrchestra
• YAAJunior
• YAAKids

Products and services

• YAACompany Year-round performance ensemble program for students in grades 9-12 featuring actors, singers, and dancers, offering musical theater training with productions performed at professional venues like Strathmore.
• YAAOrchestra Year-round orchestral training program for instrumentalists in grades 9-12, featuring full symphonic performances alongside vocalists at professional venues.
• YAAJunior Year-round performance ensemble program for students in grades 6-8 featuring actors, singers, and dancers, introducing younger students to musical theater training and productions.
• YAAKids Year-round performance ensemble program for students in grades 4-5 introducing elementary school students to musical theater training.
• Summer Performing Arts Intensives (SPAI) Award-winning summer intensive program in musical theatre for students of all ages, including daytime and overnight options with fully-staged productions.
• Kids Academy Daytime training program in musical theatre for rising grades 3-5, culminating in a final showcase performance at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, MD. Tuition: $1,145 early-bird / $1,195 regular.
• Junior Academy Daytime training program in musical theatre for rising grades 6-9, culminating in a fully-staged musical theatre production at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School. Tuition: $2,045 early-bird / $2,095 regular.
• Senior Academy Daytime training program in musical theatre for rising grades 9-12 and college freshmen, culminating in a fully-staged musical theatre production at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School. Tuition: $2,745 early-bird / $2,795 regular.
• Junior Conservatory Overnight training program in musical theatre for rising grades 7-9, culminating in a fully-staged musical theatre production at The Clarice at University of Maryland, College Park. Tuition: $3,845 early-bird / $3,895 regular.
• Senior Conservatory Overnight training program in musical theatre for rising grades 10-12 and college freshmen, culminating in two fully-staged musical theatre productions at The Clarice at University of Maryland, College Park. Tuition: $4,545 early-bird / $4,595 regular.
• Tech Theatre Intensive Immersive overnight training program focused entirely on Technical Theatre and Design for rising grades 9-12 and college freshmen, covering Lighting, Sound, Costumes, Scenery/Props, and Stage Management with a capstone project. Tuition: $2,095 early-bird / $2,145 regular.
• Acting Intensive Summer intensive program focused on acting training for students as part of the Summer Performing Arts Intensives portfolio.
• Dance Intensive Summer intensive program focused on dance training for students as part of the Summer Performing Arts Intensives portfolio.
• Classes & Workshops Year-round classes and workshops for singers, actors, and dancers at all ages and levels to hone their craft in voice, acting, and dance.
• Mentorship Program Program bringing world-class professional artists to work with and mentor YAA students.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Strathmore Hall FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrathmore serves as YAA's primary performance home at the Music Center. This is a key venue partnership for mainstage productions and establishes YAA's connection to professional performing arts infrastructure.
• The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center (University of Maryland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for Summer Conservatory productions (Junior and Senior Conservatory). Provides professional facilities including Kay Theatre (626-seat proscenium), Dance Theater, and rehearsal spaces.
• Capital One HallsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformance venue for mainstage productions including Once Upon A One More Time (November 2025).
• Our Lady of Good Counsel High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for Kids Academy, Junior Academy, and Senior Academy programs. The 650-seat Erwin Memorial Theater and Performing Arts Center provide facilities for daytime summer programs and final performances.
• Grimm + ParkersecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture firm engaged to design YAA's new permanent facility at 1626 East Jefferson Street, Rockville. Responsible for design of 10,604 sq ft rehearsal space with specialty flooring and acoustic treatments.
• AcceptdcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party registration and audition platform used for student enrollment, account setup, and video audition submissions.
• Active NetworkcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party registration platform (Active.com) used alongside Acceptd for program enrollment and registration.
• GiveButtercoreTechnology or IntegrationDonation processing platform for the Building Dreams Campaign and general donations. Handles credit card processing for contributions.
• Little Green LightsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationAlternative donation and credit card processing platform used for donations and contributions.
• ShopifysecondaryTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform for YAA Store merchandise sales including branded apparel and items.
• SquarespacecoreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite platform hosting youngartistsamerica.org and all subdomains. Used for content management and site operation.
• Raymond James & AssociatessecondaryTechnology or IntegrationBrokerage firm holding YAA's account for stock donations (Account #27795143, DTC #0725). Used for tax-efficient appreciated stock transfers.
• National Symphony OrchestrasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerYAA singers performed with Aoife O'Donovan and the NSO at The Kennedy Center (October 2024), demonstrating collaborative relationship with major symphony orchestras.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Baltimore School for the Arts: Baltimore School for the Arts is a public magnet high school in Baltimore offering pre-professional training in music, theater, dance, film, and visual arts. Comparable to YAA as a regional pre-college performing arts training institution, though it operates as a public school rather than a tuition-based nonprofit program.
• Duke Ellington School of the Arts: Duke Ellington School of the Arts is a DC public magnet high school offering pre-professional arts training in dance, instrumental and vocal music, theater, visual arts, and multimedia. Comparable to YAACompany/YAAOrchestra as a regional pre-college performing arts training institution serving the Washington DC area.

Direct peers

• French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts: French Woods Festival offers summer performing arts training in theater, dance, music, and circus arts for children and teens. It is comparable to YAA's residential Summer Conservatory programs in offering multi-week immersive training culminating in full productions for young artists.
• Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp: Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp is a Michigan-based summer camp offering intensive training in music, theater, dance, visual arts, and creative writing for youth. Comparable to YAA's summer intensives in delivering residential performing arts programs with ensemble performance components for grade-school through high-school students.
• Interlochen Center for the Arts: Interlochen Center for the Arts runs summer arts camps and a pre-college academy offering intensive training in music, theater, dance, and visual arts for youth. It is directly comparable to YAA as a residential and commuter performing arts training institution serving K-12 students with professional-caliber instruction and performance opportunities.
• Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School & Camp: Perry-Mansfield is one of the oldest performing arts training camps in the US, offering summer intensives in dance, theater, and music for youth. Comparable to YAA in delivering multi-discipline performing arts instruction with performance components and professional faculty for grade-school through high school students.
• Stagedoor Manor: Stagedoor Manor is a summer theater training camp for ages 10-20 producing fully-staged Broadway musicals. It is a close comparable to YAA's Summer Performing Arts Intensives given its focus on intensive musical theater training culminating in full productions for young performers.
• National Youth Orchestra of the USA (Carnegie Hall): NYO-USA is a tuition-free orchestral training program for American teens that performs at Carnegie Hall and on tour. Directly comparable to YAAOrchestra in offering pre-professional orchestral training and performance opportunities for high-school instrumentalists, though at higher selectivity and broader geographic scale.

Emerging players

• Paper Mill Playhouse: Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theater in New Jersey with an education division that produces a pre-professional summer musical theater intensive for high-school students culminating in full productions. Comparable to YAA's Conservatory programs as a regional theater with an integrated youth training-to-production pipeline.

Others

• iTheatrics: iTheatrics licenses Broadway Junior musical theater adaptations and provides training and tools to schools and youth programs. Comparable to YAA as a youth musical theater ecosystem player, though focused on licensing and curriculum rather than direct training and production.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubepodcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/youngartistsofamerica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/young-artists-of-america

Compliance1 record

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 Young Artists of America