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ORPHEUS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 237362572 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A690 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Medium ($1M-$10M) · orpheusnyc.org
revenue
$2.7M
expenses
$2.6M
net assets
$2.5M
employees
81
volunteers
26
program ratio
67%
profile · synthesized from sources

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is a conductorless ensemble that performs and records classical music through a collaborative, democratic process. Founded in 1972, the orchestra is based in New York City and performs at venues including Carnegie Hall. It also shares its model of shared leadership with organizations worldwide through educational programs and community initiatives.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Access Orpheus
Brings the orchestra's collaborative process to 1,500 New York City Public School students annually through coaching, school visits, and access to rehearsals and performances at Carnegie Hall.
Orpheus Leadership Institute
Immersive workshop offering leadership teams the opportunity to observe Orpheus rehearsals and learn from the orchestra’s conductorless, democratic model of collaboration and shared leadership.
Orpheus Reflections™
Brings the healing power of music to individuals living with dementia and their caregivers.
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Commissioning New Musical Works 1 activity
    • Commissioning and premiering new musical works
      Commissions and presents numerous world-premiere musical works each year through collaborations with contemporary composers.
  • Leadership Development Programs 1 activity
    • Leadership development programs using collaborative music practices
      Offers leadership development and team collaboration workshops based on the conductorless orchestral model, including immersive experiences, live rehearsal observations, and facilitated debriefs for organizations and businesses through the Orpheus Leadership Institute.
  • Music Education and Training Programs 1 activity
    • Music education and engagement for NYC public school students
      Engages approximately 1,500 New York City Public School students annually through coaching, school visits, and access to rehearsals and performances at Carnegie Hall via the Access Orpheus program.
  • Arts-Based Dementia Engagement Programs 1 activity
    • Music programs for individuals with dementia and caregivers
      Provides therapeutic music engagement programs for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers through the Orpheus Reflections™ initiative.
  • Digital Music and Performance Archiving 1 activity
    • Streaming of recorded performances for public access
      Offers on-demand streaming of performances including "Reminiscentia," Beethoven's "Egmont," "A Night At The Opera," and concerts presented at Naumburg Orchestral Concerts, expanding public access to artistic content.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$2.75M
Contributions & grants$2.07M75%
Program service revenue$592K22%
Investment income$48K2%
Other revenue$33K
expenses
Total expenses$2.56M
Program expenses67%
Admin / overhead14%
Fundraising19%
Salaries & benefits$1.82M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$2.94M
Cash$613K
Investments$1.60M
Liabilities$492K
Net assets$2.45M
Liquid reserves10.3 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -1.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 6
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
ALEXANDER SCHEIRLE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 50 $245K
LEE RAMSEY DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT 50 $154K
CAROLINE CURATOLO GENERAL MANAGER 50 $127K
MADELINE FAYETTE MUSICIAN TRUSTEE 1 $31K
MIHO SAEGUSA MUSICIAN TRUSTEE 1 $29K
EMILIE-ANNE GENDRON MUSICIAN TRUSTEE 1 $26K
board members · 19
  • ANTONELLA BONANNI — TRUSTEE
  • ARTHUR LINDENAUER — TRUSTEE
  • CHARLES E SCHEIDT — TRUSTEE
  • CONNIE STEENSMA — TRUSTEE
  • DOUGLAS H EVANS — TRUSTEE
  • EDMUND H SUTTON — TRUSTEE
  • ELIZABETH LYMAN — TRUSTEE
  • JINSOO J RO — SECRETARY
  • JONATHAN BECKER-KOWOLIK — TRUSTEE
  • KAZUTAKA MORI — TRUSTEE
  • KIM BLEIMANN — CHAIR
  • MASAHIRO INOMATA — TRUSTEE
  • MICHAEL HARPE — VICE CHAIR
  • MITCHELL A SEIDER — TRUSTEE
  • PATRICK KOCSI — VICE CHAIR & TREASURER
  • PAUL CHIHARA — TRUSTEE
  • PIERRE TRAHAN — TRUSTEE
  • SARAH F LEIBOWITZ — TRUSTEE
  • STEPHEN YAN — TRUSTEE
relationships · 23

Who they work with

  • All Arts Partner — Streaming partner for Orpheus performances, including the "Egmont" concert.
  • Alzheimer's Foundation of America Partner — Supports Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Inc.
  • Amazon Partner — Partner for charitable giving through AmazonSmile.
  • Carnegie Hall Partner — Performance and rehearsal venue partner
  • ConEdison Partner — Supports Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Inc.
  • Deutsche Grammophon Partner — Label partner for Orpheus recordings
  • Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation Funder — Supports Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Inc.
  • Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation Funder — Supports Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Inc.
  • Henry and Lucy Moses Fund Funder — Supports Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Inc.
  • IDAGIO Partner — Partner platform offering access to Orpheus recordings
  • IESE Business School Partner — Collaborates with Orpheus to co-facilitate leadership workshops for senior management teams.
  • KPMG Japan Partner — Supports Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Inc.
  • KPMG LLP Partner — Supports Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Inc.
  • Leon Levy Foundation Funder — Supports Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Inc.
  • Manhattan Borough President’s Office Government — Supports Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Inc.
  • Max Kade Foundation Funder — Supports Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Inc.
  • Naumburg Orchestral Concerts Partner — Co-presents Orpheus concerts, including the performance with JP Jofre.
  • Nonesuch Partner — Label partner for Orpheus recordings
  • Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Inc Partner — Self-referential partnership indicating internal integration of performance and community work.
  • TD Charitable Foundation Funder — Supports Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Inc.
  • The E. Nakamichi Foundation Funder — Supports Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Inc.
  • The Hyde and Watson Foundation Funder — Supports Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Inc.
  • The New York Times Network — Media outlet that has positively reviewed Orpheus Chamber Orchestra performances.
strategies · 2

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.

  • Conductorless Collaborative Model
    methodology: collaborative_leadership
    By operating without a conductor and using shared leadership among musicians, the orchestra achieves deeper artistic collaboration and collective interpretation, which enhances musical authenticity and audience engagement because the process itself embodies democratic and mutual trust principles.
  • Integrated Artistic and Community Engagement
    methodology: artistic-and-community-engagement
    By combining artistic performance with community engagement as a unified practice, the orchestra strengthens public connection to classical music and broadens access because shared artistic experiences are more impactful when co-located with educational and participatory outreach.