COMMON MAPS
Map version new-york activity top-down
Main site Contact
Menu
↑ parent activity group ·
research dossier

THE NATIONAL ORCHESTRAL ASSOCIATION INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 136001556 · Form 990 · FY2024 · Micro (<$100K) · nationalorchestral.org
revenue
$35K
expenses
$106K
net assets
$772K
employees
1
program ratio
32%
mission · from form 990

TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF CLASSICAL MUSICIANS, COMPOSERS, & EDUCATORS.

profile · synthesized from sources

The National Orchestral Association, founded in 1930, supports classical musicians, composers, and educators through training programs and performance opportunities. It has historically prepared American orchestral musicians for professional careers and promoted American composers through premieres and outreach. The organization emphasizes the legacy of founding conductor Leon Barzin, particularly his focal point conducting technique, and continues to sponsor educational initiatives and seminars in his tradition.

named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Conducting Seminars
Sponsors seminars featuring the focal-point conducting techniques of Leon Barzin, including events co-sponsored with the Conductors Guild at institutions such as the Cleveland Institute of Music and West Chester University
Leon Barzin Educational Outreach Project
Initiative launched in Sundance and Park City to bring classical music education to young audiences, continuing Barzin's legacy of school outreach
New Music Orchestral Project
Promotes American composers through world premiere performances at Carnegie Hall
School Outreach Programs
Educational outreach in NYC and Utah public schools, including performances and masterclasses by ensembles such as the String Orchestra of New York City
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Community Music Performances & Education 1 activity
    • Conducting educational outreach in public schools
      Has conducted classical music outreach programs since the 1940s, bringing small ensembles and educational seminars to public schools in New York City and Utah, including performances by the String Orchestra of New York City in Queens and activities in Sundance and Park City.
  • Arts Education Scholarships 1 activity
    • Funding music education and performance initiatives
      Provides grants and underwriting support for music education programs, including a conducting seminar underwritten by Matthew J. Trachtenberg and a grant to the Lake Luzerne Music Camp for a concert at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall attended by hundreds of students.
  • Classical and Chamber Music Performances 1 activity
    • Promoting American composers through concert performances
      Presents annual concert series at Carnegie Hall and other venues to support American composers, conductors, and audiences by sponsoring world premieres and performing new contemporary works. The New Music Orchestral Project has sponsored world premiere performances at Carnegie Hall.
  • Organizational Newsletter Production and Distribution 1 activity
    • Publishing newsletters and managing organizational communications
      Produces and publishes newsletters regularly, with issues released in December 2020, October 2021, December 2022, December 2023, November 2024, and November 2025, and manages the daily operations of the organization’s website.
  • Music Education and Training Programs 1 activity
    • Training orchestral musicians and conductors
      Provides orchestral training and conducting seminars for American orchestral musicians and young conductors, including ongoing programs and workshops at institutions such as the Cleveland Institute of Music and West Chester University. The organization has trained musicians over a 28-year period, many of whom have gone on to secure first-chair positions in orchestras worldwide.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Documenting organizational history and legacy
      Authored and edited the documentary "Leon Barzin and the National Orchestral Association" to preserve and communicate the organization's historical contributions to American classical music.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$35K
Contributions & grants$6K18%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$27K77%
Other revenue$2K
expenses
Total expenses$106K
Program expenses32%
Admin / overhead60%
Fundraising8%
Salaries & benefits$62K
Grants paid out$25K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$781K
Cash$244K
Investments$537K
Liabilities$9K
Net assets$772K
Liquid reserves88.1 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +96.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 5
  • DEBRA GREENFIELD — ASST SEC&ASS
  • GRACE R VANCE — DIRECTOR
  • JOANNE T HASSLER — SEC & TREAS
  • JUDY JACKSON — DIRECTOR
  • MATTHEW J TRACHTENBERG — CHAIR,P,CEO
relationships · 43

Who they work with

  • Alabama Symphony Orchestra Partner — Partner organization listed under current initiatives.
  • Ars Antiqua Partner — Partner organization listed under current initiatives.
  • Arthur Judson Government — Grandfather of Frances Kennedy and classical music impresario with whom the organization has a familial and historical connection.
  • Arthur Judson, II Partner — Member of the NOA Advisory Board and Vice President at Legg Mason Wood Walker, Inc.
  • Ballet School of Stamford Partner — Partner organization listed under current initiatives.
  • Bright M. Judson Partner — Member of the NOA Advisory Board and Director of The Judson Foundation.
  • Carnegie Hall Partner — Hosts the National Orchestral Association's annual concert series.
  • Concerts in the Heights Partner — Partner organization listed under current initiatives.
  • Conductors Guild Partner — Co-sponsored a conducting seminar on Leon Barzin’s technique.
  • Conductors Guild, Inc. Partner — Partnered with the NOA to sponsor conducting workshops at the Cleveland Institute of Music (2004) and West Chester University’s School of Music (2008).
  • Countess Marianne von Zastrow Partner — Member of the NOA Advisory Council.
  • Cyrus R. Vance Partner — Former U.S. Secretary of State and former member of the NOA Advisory Board (in memoriam).
  • Eric Kuttner Government — Executive Director of The National Orchestral Association
  • Fargo/Moorhead Symphony Orchestra Partner — Partner organization listed under current initiatives.
  • Frances Kennedy Government — Late Chairman of the National Orchestral Association who recruited Eric Kuttner into a leadership role.
  • George Jellinek Partner — Former member of the NOA Advisory Council (in memoriam).
  • Hillsdale College Music Partner — Partner organization listed under current initiatives.
  • Interlochen Center for the Arts Partner — Partner organization listed under current initiatives.
  • James Levine Partner — Former member of the NOA Advisory Council.
  • Koger Center for the Arts Partner — Partner organization listed under current initiatives.
  • Lake Luzerne Music Camp Partner — Received a grant from the NOA to support a concert at Alice Tully Hall; Maestro Leon Barzin was a longtime principal advisor.
  • Leon Barzin Educational Outreach Project Partner — Collaborated on educational outreach initiatives in Sundance and Park City.
  • Lyric Chamber Music Society of New York Partner — Partner organization listed under current initiatives.
  • Mstislav Rostropovich Partner — Renowned cellist and conductor, former member of the NOA Advisory Council (in memoriam).
  • New York City Ballet Network — Co-founded by Maestro Leon Barzin, who served as music director from 1948 to 1958.
  • Pat Palmer Foundation Partner — Matthew Trachtenberg serves as Director, Treasurer, and Secretary, indicating a formal governance relationship.
  • Settlement Music School Partner — Partner organization listed under current initiatives.
  • South Dakota Symphony Partner — Partner organization listed under current initiatives.
  • Sphinx Organization Partner — Partner organization listed under current initiatives.
  • Springfield Symphony Orchestra Partner — Partner organization listed under current initiatives.
+ 13 more
strategies · 4

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.

  • Adaptive Mission Stewardship
    methodology: mission adaptation
    By expanding its focus from orchestral training to broader support for American classical conductors, composers, and performers, the organization ensures relevance and sustainability, because adapting to changing conditions in the field allows continued impact and resource alignment.
  • Competitive Training Model
    methodology: competitive-training-model
    By using competitive placement, the organization motivates student musicians to improve through practice and performance, because structured competition fosters excellence, discipline, and professional readiness.
  • Preservation Through Pedagogy
    methodology: legacy_preservation_through_pedagogy
    By sponsoring seminars that teach the conducting principles of Maestro Leon Barzin, the organization preserves and transmits a specific pedagogical legacy, because structured instruction ensures fidelity and continuity of historically significant artistic methods.
  • Training Through Performance
    methodology: training-through-performance
    By integrating live performance of contemporary works and solo opportunities within an annual Carnegie Hall concert series, the organization trains emerging orchestral musicians, because experiential learning in high-stakes, professional settings deepens technical mastery and career readiness.