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WASHINGTON HEIGHTS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA CORPORATION
New York, NY · EIN 474902761 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · NTEE A69 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Micro (<$100K) · whco.music
revenue
$83K
expenses
$73K
net assets
$45K
employees
—
mission · from form 990

Arts - music performance and education

profile · synthesized from sources

Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra (WHCO) is a professional classical music ensemble based in Upper Manhattan, founded in 2015 to bring world-class performances to local communities. The orchestra presents curated MainStage and family-friendly concerts featuring living composers and traditional works, with a focus on accessibility and community engagement. WHCO performs locally at venues like Our Saviour’s Atonement and partners with neighborhood organizations to strengthen cultural life in Washington Heights.

named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Family Concerts
45-minute concerts designed for children ages 1–10, including a “Meet the Instruments” petting zoo and musical selections from MainStage programs.
MainStage Concerts
One-hour evening performances without intermission, curated for Upper Manhattan audiences, featuring works by living composers and traditional repertoire, followed by receptions with musicians.
Relaxed Family Concerts
Accessible performances with accommodations for neurodiverse audiences, including flexible seating, quiet spaces, sensory supports, and trained staff to ensure an inclusive experience.
Summer Picnic Concert Series
Outdoor chamber music performances in parks and porches across Washington Heights, offering informal, picnic-friendly events for the community.
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Music Education and Training Programs 2 activities
    • Deliver masterclasses and hold teaching positions at major music institutions
      Conducts flute and chamber music masterclasses across 49 U.S. states and more than five continents, and holds teaching positions in composition and flute at The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Mannes School of Music, and Boston University Tanglewood Institute, while directing the Woodwind Quintet Workshop.
    • Operate a summer mentorship program for emerging musicians
      Runs an annual summer mentorship program that supports emerging musicians from over 100 international institutions, providing professional development and performance opportunities.
  • Community Music Performances & Education 1 activity
    • Host family and bilingual educational concerts
      Hosts family concerts with 45-minute performances and “Meet the Instruments” sessions, as well as bilingual concert series that pair children's books with music and narration in English and Spanish, designed to engage young audiences and diverse linguistic communities.
  • Classical and Chamber Music Performances 1 activity
    • Produce public concerts featuring classical, jazz, and chamber music
      Produces over 100 public concerts since 2015, offered at low cost or free to the community, featuring classical music, jazz, chamber music, and orchestral performances. These include MainStage evening concerts, outdoor park and porch performances, and special events at community venues across Upper Manhattan.
  • Business Member Promotion Services 1 activity
    • Promote community engagement through local business partnerships and volunteer opportunities
      Enhances community engagement by promoting local businesses via visibility on its website, programs, and social media, and by offering volunteer opportunities for community members to participate in organizational activities and attend concerts.
  • Accessibility Services for Cultural Programs 1 activity
    • Provide accessible concert experiences through inclusion training and accommodations
      Offers accommodations such as multilingual social story guides, flexible seating, quiet relaxation spaces, and activity pages at family concerts, supported by specialized inclusion training for musicians and front-of-house staff to ensure accessible concert experiences.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$83K
Contributions & grants$76K92%
Program service revenue$7K8%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$73K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
balance sheet
Total assets$45K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$45K
4 years on record · 2021–2024 · YoY revenue -1.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 2
  • Ashley Windle — Executive Director
  • Matthew Bizzarro — Board Member
relationships · 43

Who they work with

  • All-Star Orchestra Partner — Collaborated on PBS broadcast of Umoja under maestro Gerard Schwarz.
  • Amphion Foundation Funder — Foundation funder supporting WHCO
  • Anna Clyne Partner — Featured composer in the 2025–26 season programming.
  • BBC Proms Partner — Presented performance of Seven O’Clock Shout with Chineke! Orchestra.
  • Ballet X Partner — Collaborated on performance of Umoja featuring choreography by Tiler Peck.
  • Bennett Park Partner — Hosts WHCO performances at this historic park.
  • Carnegie Hall Partner — Commissioned and premiered original works, including Giants of Light by the National Youth Orchestra.
  • Caroline Shaw Partner — Featured composer in the 2025–26 season programming.
  • Citizens NYC Funder — Funding partner of WHCO
  • Clara Schumann Partner — Featured composer in the 2025–26 season programming.
  • Diego Chiri Partner — Bilingual narrator for the Storytime with the Symphony concert series.
  • Dominican Heritage and Culture Society Partner — Collaborated on a concert at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall featuring violinist Aisha Syed Castro
  • Dyckman Farmhouse Partner — Hosts WHCO performances at its Fall Festival.
  • Dyckman Farmhouse Partner — Hosts WHCO performances at this historic site.
  • Felix Mendelssohn Partner — Featured composer in the 2025–26 season programming.
  • Fort Tryon Park Partner — Hosts WHCO performances at the Café Lawn in this park.
  • Igor Stravinsky Partner — Featured composer in the 2025–26 season programming.
  • Imani Winds Partner — Founder and former flutist of the ensemble; co-created educational initiatives and performance projects.
  • Karen Birch Blundell Partner — Director of Community Engagement who provides specialized inclusion training for WHCO musicians and staff.
  • LMCC Funder — Public funder supporting WHCO through Manhattan Arts Grants
  • Louise Farrenc Partner — Featured composer in the 2025–26 season programming.
  • Mark Morris Dance Group Partner — Collaborated through choreography by Billy Smith on a commissioned bilingual version of Stravinsky’s “La Historia del Soldado”
  • Medical Center Neighborhood Fund Funder — Public funding partner supporting WHCO
  • Moises Sanchez Partner — Provides in-kind videography services to WHCO.
  • Morris-Jumel Mansion Partner — Hosts WHCO performances at this historic site.
  • Morris-Jumel Mansion Partner — Hosts WHCO performances for its Women’s History Month Kick-Off event.
  • National Endowment for the Arts Government — Federal agency providing public funding to WHCO
  • New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Government agency providing public funding to WHCO
  • New York State Council on the Arts Government — State-level arts council providing funding to WHCO
  • Our Saviour’s Atonement Partner — Venue partner hosting WHCO concerts including MainStage and Family Concerts
+ 13 more
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Community-Embedded Musician Model
    methodology: community-embedded_musician_program
    By embedding professional musicians directly into community events and local spaces, the orchestra strengthens resident-musician relationships and increases access to classical music, because physical and social proximity fosters trust, relevance, and sustained engagement.
  • Culturally Responsive Programming
    methodology: culturally_responsive_curation
    By curating repertoire that reflects the cultural identities, histories, and narratives of Upper Manhattan’s diverse communities, the orchestra increases relevance and accessibility of classical music, because audiences engage more deeply when they see themselves represented in artistic content.
  • Inclusive Access Through Adaptive Formats
    methodology: inclusive_access
    By hosting relaxed family concerts and using narrative-based music education, the orchestra lowers barriers to engagement for young, neurodiverse, and intergenerational audiences, because modifying performance norms increases comfort, comprehension, and long-term participation.
  • Performance-Based Music Education
    methodology: performance-based_education
    By using live music performance as a platform for teaching, the orchestra introduces young and novice audiences to orchestral music through direct experience, because immersive, story-driven exposure is more effective than abstract instruction at building interest and understanding.
  • Thematic Resonance as Engagement Strategy
    methodology: cultural_programming_as_resilience
    By organizing performances around universal themes like resilience, endurance, and hope, the orchestra connects classical music to lived human experiences, because thematic coherence helps audiences—especially those new to the genre—find emotional entry points and meaning in the music.