Bloomington Symphony Orchestra

What Bloomington Symphony Orchestra does

The Bloomington Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community orchestra founded in 1963 and headquartered in Bloomington, Minnesota. The organization presents orchestral concerts performed by approximately 75 volunteer musicians — described as a mix of professional, semi-professional, and amateur players selected through a competitive audition process — under the direction of Music Director Manny Laureano and Executive Director Sara Kleinsasser Tan. Operations are conducted from the Bloomington Center for the Arts at 1800 West Old Shakopee Road, with performances delivered across multiple regional venues including the 443-seat Gideon Ives Auditorium at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, Schneider Theater, Normandale Lake Bandshell, and Kennedy High School.

The BSO's core offerings center on a season of subscription and individual concert tickets (priced at $19 advance / $21 door for adults, $16/$18 for seniors, $25 premium seating, and free for students with ID), a free outdoor Arts in the Park summer series, audition-based volunteer membership for musicians, and the BSO Coaches in the Classroom educational outreach program. Complementary revenue-generating programs include corporate sponsorship packages starting at $1,000 per season and concert program advertising starting at $175. The organization also pursues collaborative choral-orchestral programming with ensembles such as Normandale College Concert Choir and Angelica Encore Choral Ensemble.

The BSO's business model is a hybrid nonprofit revenue stack: approximately 40% of income comes from individual patron donors and family foundations, supplemented by ticket sales, business sponsorships, musician membership dues, and competitive public grants (City of Bloomington Cultural Arts Support Grant; Metropolitan Regional Arts Council awards funded by Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund). Marketing and distribution are conducted through a low-cost digital stack — website, Facebook, Instagram, monthly email newsletter, and seasonal print collateral — with tickets sold via the Masonic Heritage Center and Bloomington box offices, the Etix online platform, and walk-up door sales. There is no proprietary technology platform, no app, and no disclosed external funding beyond competitive public arts grants.

Name

Bloomington Symphony Orchestra

Legal name

Bloomington Symphony Orchestra Association Inc.

Website

https://bloomingtonsymphony.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Bloomington Symphony Orchestra is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community orchestra founded in 1963 in Bloomington, Minnesota, presenting subscription and free outdoor concerts performed by approximately 75 volunteer musicians under Music Director Manny Laureano, funded through ticket sales, individual donations (~40% of income), business sponsorships, and public arts grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Symphony Orchestra (Performing Arts)

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (711130), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

akta.pro primary industry

Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC)

Keywords

• Community orchestra performances
• Symphonic concert series
• Classical music programming
• Volunteer symphonic ensemble
• Live orchestral concerts

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomington Springs

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from concert ticket sales at various price points including advance and door pricing for adults, seniors, students, and premium seating.
2. Individual Donations: Approximately 40% of BSO income is derived from individual patron donors. Recognition tiers include gifts at various levels with benefits ranging from concert program acknowledgment to chair naming opportunities and concert sponsorship.
3. Business Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships starting at $1,000 for the season, including social media, program ads, and concert ticket benefits. Also includes program advertising opportunities starting at $175.
4. Government Grants: Supported by the City of Bloomington's Resident Arts Support Grant (Cultural Arts Support Grant of $9,000 for 2016-17) and the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council ($10,000 grant for 2016-17).
5. Membership Dues: BSO Musicians contribute membership dues in addition to their time and talent. While financial contributions are requested, the organization is committed to ensuring financial limitations never prevent participation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Bloomington Symphony Orchestra is a community performing arts organization that presents live orchestral concert performances of classical and contemporary symphonic repertoire, delivered by approximately 75 volunteer musicians under Music Director Manny Laureano. The BSO operates as a subscription-based concert season at Twin Cities venues including the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center's Gideon Ives Auditorium (443 seats) and the Schneider Theater, complemented by a free outdoor Arts in the Park summer series at Normandale Lake Bandshell. Revenue programs include individual ticket sales, patron donations (approximately 40% of income), corporate sponsorships, program advertising, government/arts council grants, and a musician audition/membership program, with BSO Coaches in the Classroom providing educational outreach.

Product overview

The Bloomington Symphony Orchestra is a community orchestra offering a portfolio of live orchestral concert performances as its core product. The organization presents multiple subscription concerts annually at venues including the Masonic Heritage Center, Schneider Theater, and outdoor Normandale Lake Bandshell, featuring approximately 75 volunteer musicians led by Music Director Manny Laureano. Additional offerings include the free Arts in the Park summer outdoor series, an audition-based membership program for volunteer musicians, educational outreach through coaching programs, and various sponsorship and donation opportunities for patrons and businesses. Ticket sales, membership dues, and patron donations (approximately 40% of income) fund operations, with sponsorship packages and program advertising providing additional revenue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Subscription Concert Performances Live orchestral performances of classical and contemporary symphonic repertoire presented as a multi-concert subscription season at indoor Twin Cities venues including the 443-seat Gideon Ives Auditorium at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center and the Schneider Theater, performed by 75 volunteer musicians under Music Director Manny Laureano. Ticket pricing is tiered by audience type (adults $19 advance / $21 door, seniors $16/$18, groups of 10+ at $12, students always free with ID, premium seating $25).
• Arts in the Park Outdoor Concert Series Free outdoor summer concert series held at the Normandale Lake Bandshell featuring light classical and pops repertoire, open to the public at no charge and intended to expand community access beyond ticketed indoor concerts. The 2026 edition is scheduled for July 21, 2026 at 7:00 pm.
• Musician Audition Program Two-round audition process (video submission followed by in-person audition) recruiting professional, semi-professional, and amateur musicians for the BSO's strings, winds, brass, and percussion sections; selected musicians become dues-paying members of the volunteer ensemble with the BSO committed to ensuring financial limitations never prevent participation.
• BSO Coaches in the Classroom Educational outreach program sending BSO professional musicians into Twin Cities-area schools for in-person coaching sessions with student musicians, supporting music education and the orchestra's youth pipeline.
• Corporate Sponsorship Packages Season-level sponsorship packages starting at $1,000 that confer corporate visibility through social media promotion, program advertising placement, and concert ticket benefits; the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center is named as the primary Concert Season Sponsor (February 2026).
• Program Advertising Paid ad placements in printed concert programs starting at $175 per placement, with discounts available for multiple concert insertions. Provides local businesses with visibility to the BSO concert audience in Bloomington and the broader Twin Cities area.

Quantifiable outcome

• 61st concert season demonstrates sustained organizational performance and community support
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Minnesota Masonic Heritage CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary venue host and concert season sponsor. BSO performs at Gideon Ives Auditorium (443-seat jewel-box venue). Provides box office services for ticket sales. Named as Concert Season Sponsor for February 2026 concert.
• Normandale Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaculty member Soojung Hong, piano instructor at Normandale Community College, performed as soloist with BSO for Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1.
• Normandale College Concert ChoirminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative choral ensemble that performed with BSO for the April 2024 concert featuring Holst's The Planets.
• Angelica Encore Choral EnsembleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative choral ensemble that performed with BSO and Normandale College Concert Choir for the April 2024 concert featuring Holst's The Planets.
• Minnesota Youth SymphoniesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerManny Laureano and his wife Claudette serve as Co-Artistic Directors of Minnesota Youth Symphonies, connecting BSO leadership with youth music education in the region.
• MNSOTA (Minnesota String Orchestra Teachers Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMNSOTA Mary West Solo Competition winner Celine Bares performed as soloist with BSO. Competition winners regularly featured as BSO soloists.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Minnesota Orchestra: The major professional symphony orchestra in the Twin Cities and BSO's primary regional incumbent. Comparability is direct on genre (orchestral classical) and geography (same metro), though Minnesota Orchestra operates at a far larger paid-musician scale and budget.
• St. Paul Chamber Orchestra: Professional chamber orchestra based in St. Paul, sharing the Twin Cities market with BSO. Comparable on genre and geography but operates with paid musicians at a much larger scale and broader repertoire.

Regional players

• Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra: Regional symphony serving the Duluth-Superior market on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border. Comparable on symphonic repertoire and community-mission focus but does not directly compete in the Twin Cities metro.
• Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra: Regional symphony orchestra serving the Fargo-Moorhead area spanning Minnesota and North Dakota. Comparable as a Midwestern regional symphony with mixed volunteer/professional musicians but a distinct geographic market from BSO.

Direct peers

• Mankato Symphony Orchestra: Minnesota-based community symphony orchestra with a comparable regional, volunteer-driven structure. Directly comparable as a symphonic ensemble serving a mid-sized Minnesota market.
• Mississippi Valley Orchestra: Twin Cities-area community orchestra with a similar volunteer-musician and community-mission profile. Comparability is high on ensemble type, governance model, and regional audience.
• Minnesota Youth Symphonies: Twin Cities youth orchestral program co-led by BSO Music Director Manny Laureano. Highly comparable as a symphonic ensemble serving a regional audience and connected to the same talent pipeline BSO draws from.
• Kenwood Symphony Orchestra: Twin Cities community symphony orchestra with a comparable volunteer-musician model and community-mission profile, explicitly mentioned in BSO's personnel history as a peer ensemble where BSO musicians also perform.

Others

• American Composers Forum: Twin Cities-based national nonprofit supporting new American music, adjacent to BSO's commissioning and new-works activity (e.g., Danzón No. 2, Holst collaborations). Thematically connected as part of the same regional new-music ecosystem.
• Schubert Club: St. Paul-based performing and presenting arts nonprofit in the Twin Cities. Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but operates in the same regional classical-music patron and donor pool BSO depends on.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bloomingtonsymphonyorchestra
• Instagraminstagram.com/bloomingtonsymphonyorchestra
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bloomington-symphony-orchestra

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Bloomington Symphony Orchestra