Black Orchestral Network
Black Orchestral Network is a nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 2022 by Black orchestral musicians to cultivate community, advocate for equity, and tell the stories of Black classical musicians across more than 40 major U.S. orchestras.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersRochester, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Black Orchestral Network does
Black Orchestral Network (BON) is a private nonprofit advocacy organization founded in May 2022 in New York by seven Black orchestral musicians — Jennifer Arnold, Alexander Laing, David A. Norville, Joy Payton-Stevens, Shea Scruggs, Weston Sprott, and Titus Underwood — to support Black orchestral musicians in the United States. The organization operates around three pillars: Cultivating Community (membership programs, community conversations, virtual guest speaker series, and annual summits), Lifting Our Voices (the multi-part 'Dear American Orchestras' open letter campaign and Days of Solidarity), and Telling Our Stories (the Black Music Seen podcast). BON does not develop technology products; its offerings are programmatic and advocacy-driven, including model probation and tenure standards co-developed with the American Federation of Musicians.
BON serves three primary segments: Black orchestral musicians (individual members, free with a suggested $20 donation), orchestras and musical institutions (institutional supporters at $500/year, including Carnegie Hall, Seattle Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, and Cincinnati Symphony), and music enthusiasts/allies. Its revenue is derived from institutional membership fees, foundation grants (Mellon Foundation and New York State Council on the Arts), and individual donations processed through fiscal sponsor Gateways Music Festival. The organization distributes its work through its website, social media, podcast platforms, and annual summits, and has built a coalition of Black musicians from over 40 major U.S. orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, LA Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, and Nashville Symphony.
Black Orchestral Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Black Orchestral Network
- Legal name
- Black Orchestral Network
- Website
- https://blackorchestralnetwork.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Black Orchestral Network is a nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 2022 by Black orchestral musicians to cultivate community, advocate for equity, and tell the stories of Black classical musicians across more than 40 major U.S. orchestras.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Black Orchestral Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Arts Advocacy and Coalition Services
- NAICS
- Performing Arts Companies (7111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC)
Keywords
Where Black Orchestral Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rochester
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Black Orchestral Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Institutional Memberships: Annual membership fees from orchestral institutions and organizations committed to DEI, at $500/year, providing advertising benefits for job postings and event promotion.
- Individual Membership Donations: Free individual membership with suggested $20 donation to support BON's work building an inclusive and equitable environment for Black orchestral musicians.
- Foundation Grants: Generous support from Mellon Foundation and New York State Council on the Arts, providing core operational funding for programs and initiatives.
- General Donations: Donations from supporters and allies to empower Black musicians in orchestral music, processed through fiscal sponsor Gateways Music Festival.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free individual membership with suggested $20 donation |
| Subscription | Annual | Institutional supporter annual membership |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Black Orchestral Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Black Orchestral Network is a national nonprofit advocacy and community organization that supports Black orchestral musicians through membership programs (individual and institutional), the multi-part "Dear American Orchestras" campaign of open letters and Days of Solidarity, model tenure standards co-developed with the American Federation of Musicians, the "Black Music Seen" podcast, and annual summits convening Black musicians and orchestral industry leaders.
Product overview
Black Orchestral Network (BON) is a nonprofit collective and advocacy organization, not a technology product company. Its offerings consist of community programs and advocacy initiatives centered on three pillars: Cultivating Community (membership programs, community conversations, virtual guest speaker series, and annual summits), Lifting Our Voices (the 'Dear American Orchestras' multi-part campaign with open letters and Days of Solidarity), and Telling Our Stories (the 'Black Music Seen' podcast). BON also provides resources including tenure model standards and social media toolkits to support its mission of equity and inclusion for Black orchestral musicians.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Black Music Seen: A podcast dedicated to highlighting and telling the stories of living legends in Black classical music, produced by the Black Orchestral Network.
- Dear American Orchestras
- BON Summit
Products and services
- Membership Programs Individual (free with suggested $20 donation) and institutional supporter ($500/year) memberships providing access to community conversations, professional development opportunities, virtual guest speaker series invitations, and an exclusive newsletter. Institutional supporters must meet DEI criteria and receive job posting and event promotion benefits.
- Black Music Seen Podcast Podcast dedicated to highlighting and telling stories of living legends in Black classical music, featuring conversations with Black orchestral musicians in their own voice; distributed via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Podbean.
- BON Annual Summits Annual in-person summits (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026) bringing together Black orchestral musicians, industry leaders, and allies for panel discussions, workshops, community conversations, and networking around equity and inclusion in classical music.
- Dear American Orchestras Open Letter Campaign Multi-part advocacy campaign comprising open letters (Part I 2022, Part II 2024, Part III 2026) to American orchestras calling for equity, inclusion, and reform in hiring, tenure, and audition practices, accompanied by annual Days of Solidarity events and co-signing opportunities for supporters.
- Model Probation/Tenure Standards and Procedures Model standards and procedures document co-developed with the AFM's Symphonic Services Division to provide a framework for codifying equitable probation and tenure processes for use in collective bargaining agreements; recommendations have been incorporated at orchestras including Charlotte Symphony and Cincinnati Symphony.
- Community Conversations Virtual and in-person community conversations (World Café format) for various sectors of the Black orchestral community to strengthen coalition, forge stronger connections, and collectively discover organizational direction through facilitated dialogue.
- Dear American Orchestras, Part II (2024 Open Letter) Second open letter in the Dear American Orchestras series, focused on tenure process reform and outlining ten actionable steps for equity in orchestral tenure processes, accompanied by a Day of Solidarity on January 29, 2024.
- Dear American Orchestras, Part III (2026 Open Letter)
Quantifiable outcome
- Influenced Charlotte Symphony Orchestra's new 2024 CBA with industry-leading tenure provisions and 13.5% salary increase
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Black Orchestral Network
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Black Orchestral Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Black Orchestral Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- American Federation of Musicians (AFM) - Symphonic Services DivisioncoreCreated Model Probation Standards and Procedures document with input from BON leadership. This document provides a model for codifying equitable tenure processes for use in collective bargaining.
- Charlotte Symphony OrchestracoreAdopted BON-influenced tenure provisions in their 2024-2027 CBA, implementing industry-leading audition and tenure practices with 13.5% salary increase. Represents tangible adoption of BON recommendations.
- Cincinnati Symphony OrchestracoreIncorporated NAAS and BON recommendations into their 5-year labor agreement, including transparent tenure processes, support mechanisms, and protections against conflicts of interest.
- Gateways Music FestivalcoreBON's fiscal sponsor, processing donations. Gateways Music Festival supports and connects professional classical musicians of African descent and is a natural ally in BON's mission. BON steering committee member Alex Laing serves as Executive Director of Gateways.
- Working IDEALsupportingConsulting partner providing expertise on inclusive workplaces, diversity, and equity initiatives, supporting BON's advocacy work.
- Black Music Action CoalitionsupportingCommunity support organization that has partnered with BON in advocacy efforts for equity in the music industry.
- National Alliance for Audition Support (NAAS)coreNAAS published guidelines for audition and tenure processes which BON builds upon and recommends to orchestras. BON's recommendations have been incorporated alongside NAAS guidelines in collective bargaining agreements.
- Sphinx OrganizationcoreSphinx Organization has been doing radical work since 1997 to make sure Black musicians are in a position to be heard. BON recommends Sphinx's audition and tenure guidelines to orchestras.
- Carnegie HallcoreInstitutional supporter of BON, promoting events that center Black artists and supporting the mission of equity in orchestral music.
- Seattle SymphonycoreInstitutional supporter of BON's mission, committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in classical music.
- St. Louis Symphony OrchestracoreInstitutional supporter committed to organizational DEI statement, diversity throughout organization including trustee level, and required DEI training.
- Winston Salem SymphonysupportingInstitutional supporter of BON's mission to support Black orchestral musicians and advance equity in classical music.
- Nashville SymphonycoreInstitutional supporter with DEI commitment; BON founding member Titus Underwood is Principal Oboe of Nashville Symphony.
- Capitol PercussionsupportingInstitutional supporter of BON's mission.
- Gateways Music FestivalcoreAll-Black orchestra festival bringing together classical musicians from across the African Diaspora. BON founding member Alex Laing serves as Executive Director. Partnership includes Gateways Brass Collective performances at BON events.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Black Orchestral Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sphinx Organization: National nonprofit founded in 1997 to advance Black and Latinx participation in classical music. Directly comparable as a peer advocacy and pipeline organization serving Black classical musicians, and explicitly named as a partner whose audition and tenure guidelines BON recommends to orchestras.
- Gateways Music Festival: Festival and organization connecting professional classical musicians of African descent. Most directly comparable since it serves the same Black orchestral musician population, shares personnel (co-founder Alex Laing is Executive Director), and serves as BON's fiscal sponsor.
- National Alliance for Audition Support (NAAS): Alliance supporting underrepresented musicians in orchestral audition processes. Directly comparable as a peer organization that publishes audition and tenure guidelines incorporated alongside BON's recommendations in major orchestra CBAs.
- Working IDEAL: Consulting firm specializing in inclusive workplaces. Listed as a strategic consulting partner providing DEI expertise to BON's advocacy work, making it a peer in the practitioner ecosystem driving structural change in arts organizations.
- Black Music Action Coalition: Coalition advocating for equity in the music industry. Directly comparable as a peer advocacy organization; both groups have partnered on equity initiatives, and BMAC's broader industry footprint complements BON's orchestral focus.
- Castle of Our Skins: Boston-based organization dedicated to celebrating Black artistry in classical music. Co-founder David A. Norville previously served as Director of Operations and Community Engagement, making it an institutional peer in the Black classical music advocacy ecosystem.
Broad incumbents
- League of American Orchestras: National service and trade association for American orchestras. Comparable as the broad incumbent orchestrating field-wide DEI initiatives and data (including the 2023 demographic survey BON references), though it is a general industry body rather than a Black-musician-specific advocacy group.
- American Federation of Musicians (AFM) - Symphonic Services Division: Musicians' labor union that negotiates collective bargaining agreements with symphonies. Comparable as a counterpart institutional partner that co-developed BON's Model Probation/Tenure Standards and provides the regulatory machinery within which BON's recommendations are codified.
- National Association of Black Journalists: National advocacy organization for Black journalists. Cited in BON's own history as a structural model for a Black professional association; comparable organizationally as a longstanding member-led advocacy body in a different cultural industry.
Emerging players
- The Color of Music Collective: Emerging organization advocating for Black musicians in classical spaces. A peer in the same Black-classical-music advocacy ecosystem with a comparable but narrower mission, representing potential overlapping membership and partner base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Black Orchestral Network social profiles
Digital presenceBlack Orchestral Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Black Orchestral Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Black Orchestral Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Black Orchestral Network 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 Black Orchestral Network
What does Black Orchestral Network do?
The Black Orchestral Network is a national nonprofit advocacy and community organization that supports Black orchestral musicians through membership programs (individual and institutional), the multi-part "Dear American Orchestras" campaign of open letters and Days of Solidarity, model tenure standards co-developed with the American Federation of Musicians, the "Black Music Seen" podcast, and annual summits convening Black musicians and orchestral industry leaders.
Is Black Orchestral Network a public or private company?
Black Orchestral Network is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Black Orchestral Network founded?
Black Orchestral Network was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Black Orchestral Network based?
Black Orchestral Network is headquartered in Rochester, United States, in the North America region.
How does Black Orchestral Network make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Institutional Memberships are the primary driver. The others are individual Membership Donations, foundation Grants and general Donations.
Who are Black Orchestral Network's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sphinx Organization, Gateways Music Festival, National Alliance for Audition Support (NAAS), Working IDEAL, Black Music Action Coalition and Castle of Our Skins. Broad incumbents are League of American Orchestras, American Federation of Musicians (AFM) - Symphonic Services Division and National Association of Black Journalists. The Color of Music Collective is listed as an emerging player.
Does Black Orchestral Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for Black Orchestral Network.
What industry is Black Orchestral Network in?
Black Orchestral Network's product category is Arts Advocacy and Coalition Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMANAC, Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir). Its NAICS code is 7111.