American Theatre Organ Society

What American Theatre Organ Society does

The American Theatre Organ Society (ATOS) is a California-incorporated non-profit charitable organization headquartered in Elk Grove that preserves and promotes theatre pipe organs—a "unit orchestra" combining orchestral and percussive timbres from manufacturers including Wurlitzer, Kimball, Barton, Robert-Morton, Moller, Austin, and Allen. Founded originally as ATOE (American Theatre Organ Enthusiasts), ATOS serves approximately 2,400 members through a federated network of 70+ chapters across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, plus a portfolio of programs including the bimonthly ATOS Journal (print and online), 24/7 Theatre Organ Radio streaming, annual conventions, youth education (Summer Youth Adventure, Young Theatre Organist Competition, George Wright Memorial Fellowship), Technical Experience training seminars, and the Endowment Fund grant program.

Rather than presenting instruments directly, ATOS distributes its mission through local chapters that own or have access to installed theatre pipe organs and stage concerts, silent film screenings with live organ accompaniment, and educational events for their communities. Supporting infrastructure includes a digitized ATOS Archives (back-issue journals through 2023), an online event creation and management system for chapter leaders, and content production managed by an internal team (Content Manager Don Feely and Radio/Archives lead Bill Gellhaus). The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and elected officers, with the 2025-2026 slate including Chairman Shawn Kenney, Vice Chairman William Webber, Secretary Luke Staisiunas, and Treasurer Dave Calendine.

ATOS funds operations through annual membership dues (with a $35 promotional rate for new members), charitable donations, estate gifts earmarked for the Endowment Fund, annual fundraising drives, convention registration fees, and marketplace sales of recordings and merchandise. The organization reports nearly $2 million in assets. In March 2026, ATOS announced a flagship partnership with the Shanklin Music Hall Foundation to establish a permanent headquarters at Shanklin Music Hall, which houses a 4/34 Wurlitzer and will serve as a venue for education, concerts, workshops, and a permanent home for the ATOS archives.

Name

American Theatre Organ Society

Legal name

American Theatre Organ Society, Inc.

Website

https://atos.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The American Theatre Organ Society is a non-profit charitable organization that preserves and promotes theatre pipe organs through a federation of 70+ chapters worldwide, serving approximately 2,400 members via concerts, education programs, youth initiatives, a bimonthly journal, and 24/7 streaming radio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Heritage Preservation

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Musical Instruments (3931)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

Keywords

• Theatre pipe organs
• Organ preservation society
• Music heritage nonprofit
• Silent film accompaniment
• Organ education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Elk Grove

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees provide access to the bimonthly Theatre Organ Journal, yearly conventions, and member benefits. Special new member promotion at $35.
2. Donations: The organization receives charitable donations through its website and annual fundraising drive, with estate gifts earmarked for the Endowment Fund.
3. Marketplace Sales: ATOS Marketplace sells convention CDs, promotional materials, and theatre organ-related merchandise.
4. Convention Fees: Annual conventions charge registration fees for access to concerts, workshops, and events featuring internationally recognized organists.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

American Theatre Organ Society, Inc. (ATOS) is a nonprofit membership organization that preserves and promotes theatre pipe organs through concerts, silent film presentations, education programs, publications, and a network of more than 70 local chapters worldwide. It serves approximately 2,400 members through its bimonthly Theatre Organ Journal, annual conventions, youth programs, Technical Experience seminars, George Wright Memorial Fellowship, and a 24/7 streaming Theatre Organ Radio service, while distributing charitable grants through an Endowment Fund to chapters for instrument upkeep.

Product overview

The American Theatre Organ Society operates as a membership-based nonprofit organization offering a unified portfolio of programs and services centered on theatre pipe organ preservation, education, and performance. The core offerings include the ATOS Journal (bi-monthly magazine in print and online), Theatre Organ Radio (24/7 streaming radio station), and ATOS Archives (digitized journal collection). Educational programs encompass Summer Youth Adventure (youth instruction), Young Theatre Organist Competition, Technical Experience (technical training), George Wright Memorial Fellowship, and Youth Scholarships. The organization also administers an Endowment Fund providing grants to chapters for organ maintenance, organizes Annual Conventions, and supports a network of local chapters that present concerts and silent film events. An online event management system enables chapters to create and publish events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ATOS Membership

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Shanklin Music Hall FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026Shanklin Music Hall will become the permanent headquarters for the American Theatre Organ Society, providing a venue for education, concerts, workshops, and a home to the ATOS archives. The Shanklin Music Hall Foundation will work with ATOS over the next several years to facilitate this transition. Shanklin Music Hall also houses a 4/34 Wurlitzer organ.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Trust for Historic Preservation: Large membership non-profit dedicated to preserving historic places across the US, including theatres and organs. Operates at a much broader scale than ATOS but shares the preservation-mission, membership-publication, and advocacy framework.

Direct peers

• Theatre Historical Society of America: Membership society preserving American theatre architecture and history through publications, conventions, and archives. Shares ATOS's preservation-of-historic-venue-and-art-form DNA, including theatre organ collections inside historic movie palaces.
• Organ Historical Society: Non-profit dedicated to preservation of historic pipe organs in North America, with a scholarly journal, annual convention, and advocacy programs. Closest peer in mission scope: pipe organ preservation, research, and education through a membership-driven society.
• American Guild of Organists: Largest membership organization for organists in the US, offering publications, competitions, scholarships, and regional chapters. Directly comparable to ATOS as a non-profit membership society serving organ enthusiasts with education, performance, and community programming.
• Reed Organ Society: Volunteer-driven non-profit dedicated to preservation and enjoyment of reed organs, with quarterly journal, conventions, and technical resources. Structurally analogous niche-instrument membership society, smaller in scale than ATOS but operating on the same membership-publication-convention model.

Emerging players

• Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America: Trade association of North American pipe organ builders and suppliers. Adjacent rather than competitive — supports the instrument-building ecosystem that ATOS depends on for restoration, and represents the supplier-side peer to ATOS's preservation/consumer-side mission.
• Organ Clearing House: Non-profit service that matches surplus pipe organs with new homes and coordinates organ relocation/restoration. Comparable as an instrument-preservation non-profit in the same ecosystem, but focused on logistics rather than community programming or education.
• Cinema Treasures: Online community and database cataloging historic movie theatres, many of which house theatre pipe organs. Overlaps with ATOS on the venue-preservation side and on community engagement with historic theatre audiences, though it operates primarily as a digital platform rather than a presenting society.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ATOSTheatreOrgan
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-theatre-organ-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 American Theatre Organ Society