Voices of Ascension

What Voices of Ascension does

Voices of Ascension is a New York City-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional choral ensemble founded in 1990 by conductor Dennis Keene, presenting an annual subscription concert series of choral and orchestral masterworks spanning Renaissance to contemporary repertoire. The ensemble performs primarily at the Church of the Ascension (36 Fifth Avenue), a Gothic Revival venue housing the Manton Memorial Organ, and offers six-concert seasons with subscription and single-ticket pricing sold through the OvationsTix platform (e.g., $355 for four Level A Orchestra concerts versus $430 single-ticket value). Programming spans a flagship Candlelight Christmas series (37 years running), a 2026-2027 season featuring Haydn, Fauré, Tallis, Byrd, and Bach Mass in B Minor, and sub-programs including Voices of Promise (an emerging artist development pipeline with Santa Fe Opera, George London Foundation, and the Met Opera Lindemann Program), Voices of The New (a contemporary music series extending to Roulette Intermedium in Brooklyn), Voices of Mannahatta (Indigenous land-acknowledgment programming in collaboration with the International Contemporary Ensemble and The Eagle Project), and the Choral Visionaries guest conductor series.

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit revenue stack. Earned revenue comes from concert ticket and subscription sales; contributed revenue comes from individual donations, charitable giving (tax-deductible under Tax ID 13-3668472), the annual fall gala at The Bowery Hotel with Host Committee packages tiered from $1,000 to $15,000, and Candlelight Christmas candle dedications ($250 minimum gift). The Voices Forever endowment, capitalized through a transformative $2.5M Manton Foundation gift in 2018 ($500K outright plus $1M matching pledge), provides long-term financial underpinning. Marketing is conducted primarily through the weekly Voices of Connection newsletter, the voicesofascension.org website, Instagram (@voascension), Facebook, and YouTube performance archives, with earned-media coverage from outlets including The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Sequenza 21.

Audience segments include a general classical music audience in NYC, young professional classical singers served through Voices of Promise, philanthropic patrons and gala Host Committee members, and community engagement participants reached through DEI initiatives and Voices of Mannahatta. The organization is led by Artistic Director Dennis Keene and Executive Director Jonathan Bradley, following the 2025 passing of former Executive Director Liz Norman, who had led the organization for 14 years. The ensemble's geographic footprint is concentrated in New York City, with no international touring indicated in the source data.

Name

Voices of Ascension

Legal name

Voices of Ascension

Website

https://voicesofascension.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Voices of Ascension is a NYC-based 501(c)(3) professional choral ensemble, founded in 1990, that produces an annual subscription concert series of choral and orchestral masterworks at the Church of the Ascension, supplemented by donations, an annual gala, and a $2.5M endowment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Choral Music

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC), Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

Keywords

• Choral music performances
• Professional chorus orchestra
• Live concert season
• Classical music ensemble
• Holiday christmas concerts

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Concert Ticket Sales: Single tickets and subscriptions to the annual concert season are sold via OvationsTix (ovationtix.com). Season subscriptions offer discounted pricing across multiple concerts.
2. Donations and Philanthropy: The organization is a qualified 501(c)(3) not-for-profit (Tax ID 13-3668472). Charitable contributions are tax-deductible. The Manton Foundation made a landmark $2M endowed gift in 2018 ($500K outright + $1M matching pledge). Annual endowment campaigns and individual donations sustain operations.
3. Annual Fall Gala: Annual gala events (e.g., September 30, 2026 at The Bowery Hotel) generate revenue through ticket sales, table purchases, and Host Committee contributions at tiered levels ($1,000–$15,000).
4. Candlelight Candle Dedications: A special candle dedication program during Candlelight Christmas Concerts offers a $250+ gift in honor of a loved one, with program listing and pre-concert champagne reception access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Voices of Ascension is a professional chorus and orchestra that produces live performances of choral and orchestral masterworks spanning Renaissance to contemporary repertoire. The ensemble presents an annual subscription concert season at the Church of the Ascension in New York City, complemented by the Candlelight Christmas Concerts, contemporary music programs, and community and emerging artist initiatives. Revenue is generated through ticket sales, subscriptions, charitable donations, and an annual fundraising gala.

Product overview

Voices of Ascension is a professional choral and orchestral ensemble offering a single unified product: live concert performances of classical and choral music. The organization presents an annual subscription concert series (6 concerts in 2026-2027 season) featuring masterworks from the Renaissance through contemporary compositions. Additional offerings include the annual Candlelight Christmas Concerts (now in 37th year), the Voices of Promise emerging artist program, the Voices of the New contemporary music series, the Voices Forever endowment program, and the Choral Visionaries guest conductor series. The ensemble also produces special projects like Voices of Mannahatta and hosts an annual gala fundraiser.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Voices of Promise: Emerging artist program launched in 2014-2015 that creates solo opportunities with the ensemble for talented young performers in partnership with major music conservatories and opera programs.
• Voices of Mannahatta
• Voices of The New
• Choral Visionaries

Products and services

• Voices of Ascension Chorus & Orchestra
• Candlelight Christmas Concerts
• 2026-2027 Season Concert Series

Quantifiable outcome

• Voices of Ascension has maintained a sold-out Candlelight Christmas concert tradition for 37 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Dark Horse ConsortmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2026Early music ensemble dedicated to late Renaissance and early Baroque repertoire. Collaborated on Monteverdi Vespers of 1610 (March 5, 2026), described as 'the finest interpreters of this repertoire to be found in the Western Hemisphere.'
• International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2025ICE collaborated with Voices of Ascension on Voices of Mannahatta (April 8, 2025), performing Raven Chacon's Pulitzer Prize-winning 'Voiceless Mass' alongside the Manton Memorial Organ. ICE is described as 'America's foremost new-music group' by The New Yorker.
• The Eagle ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2025NYC's only Lenape-led performing arts organization, founded by Ryan Victor Pierce ('Opalanietet'). Collaborated on Voices of Mannahatta (2025) as a key cultural partner bringing Indigenous artistic perspectives to the program.
• Mohican Writers CirclemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2025Members Bonney Hartley, Jon & Jo Ann Schedler, Cathy Caldwell, Judith Hartley, and Misty Cook contributed lyrics for Brent Michael Davids' 'We Are On Native Land' commissioned work, completed as part of the Voices of Mannahatta project.
• Brooklyn Youth ChorusmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2025Brooklyn Youth Chorus, under Artistic Director Dianne Berkun Menaker, participated in Voices of Ascension's Bach St. Matthew Passion performance on March 13, 2025.
• The Unsung CollectivemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 April 2024One of NYC's newest vocal ensembles, co-curated with Hai-Ting Chinn for Voices of The New: Many Worlds (April 2024) at Roulette Intermedium, Brooklyn. Created a collaborative program bridging diverse communities through choral music.
• Young People's Chorus of NYCmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 November 2022Collaborated with Voices of Ascension on 'From Adversity to Triumph' concert (November 2022), performing Paola Prestini's 'The Glass Box' oratorio and Haydn's 'Lord Nelson' Mass, with Francisco Nuñez as Artistic Director of the partner ensemble.
• Voices of Promise Partner InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Voices of Promise emerging artist program partners with: Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program, George London Foundation, Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Program, and major music conservatories to create solo opportunities for talented young performers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Crossing: Philadelphia-based professional chamber choir specializing in new music commissions and recordings, multiple-time Grammy winner. Closely comparable artistic mission (contemporary choral excellence, commissions) and non-profit structure.
• Anonymous 4: NYC-based female vocal quartet specializing in medieval and contemporary repertoire. Comparable as a small, high-prestige professional vocal ensemble with a strong recording catalog and non-profit operations.
• Chanticleer: San Francisco-based professional male vocal ensemble producing a national concert season and recordings. Directly comparable as a Grammy-recognized professional choral ensemble with subscription programming and a similar non-profit operating model.
• Roomful of Teeth: GRAMMY-winning vocal ensemble based at Williams College, focused on new commissions and extended vocal techniques. Directly comparable as a contemporary-focused professional choral ensemble with nonprofit structure and similar commissioning/recording model.
• New York Choral Society: NYC-based community-auditioned choral society performing large-scale choral-orchestral masterworks with professional orchestra. Comparable in NYC market and choral-orchestral concert programming.
• The Tallis Scholars: UK-based professional vocal ensemble directed by Peter Phillips, focused on Renaissance and sacred polyphony. Comparable as a long-tenured, internationally touring professional choral ensemble with a comparable repertoire anchor.
• MasterVoices: NYC-based choral organization founded by Gregory Hopkins, performing choral-orchestral masterworks including staged performances. Direct NYC-based peer with similar choral-orchestral repertoire focus and nonprofit ticketing model.

Others

• Chorus America: National service organization for the choral field, providing advocacy, research, and awards (Dennis Keene has received recognition from them). Indirect peer as the industry body representing professional choruses like Voices of Ascension.

Emerging players

• Brooklyn Youth Chorus: Brooklyn-based youth choral organization (Dianne Berkun Menaker, Artistic Director) that has collaborated with Voices of Ascension. Comparable in NYC choral ecosystem with an educational/talent-development mission, but focused on younger singers.
• Young People's Chorus of NYC: NYC youth choral organization (Francisco Núñez, founder) collaborating with Voices of Ascension. Comparable as a NYC choral institution with educational and performance programs, but operating in a different age segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@voicesofascension
• Facebookfacebook.com/voicesofascension
• Instagraminstagram.com/voascension
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/voices-of-ascension

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Voices of Ascension