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Comparative Report 2023-24

For nearly 50 years, Orchestras Canada has gathered financial and audience data, culminating in the annual Comparative Report. This vital resource, summarized by budget and region, offers a clear picture of the Canadian orchestra landscape.

After 19 years of dedicated work, long-time statistician Steve Smith retired, prompting a reimagining of the report. With support from the Canada Council for the Arts and tech experts Janette Kwan and Hernan Kina, alongside project leads Blanche Israel and Tim Crouch, Orchestras Canada has officially launched OBOE (Orchestra Benchmarking and Overview Explorer). This innovative system streamlines data collection, processing, and presentation, making analysis easier for orchestras. We are moving from a past of careful data collection, to a future of streamlined, impactful analysis.

Over the past few months, we gratefully accepted data from 71 participating orchestras out of Orchestras Canada’s 146 members, providing a wide range of financial and statistical information. The summaries on this page group this data by budget size and regions, and includes interesting historical data.

Comparative Report Summaries

Click on the buttons below to download this year’s Comparative Report summaries:

 

If you are interested in taking part in the Comparative Report in upcoming years and would like to have access to the full power of the OBOE/HAUTBOIS dashboard, please reach out to the OC team at [email protected], and we will make sure you get the official invitation when the time comes.

 

Snapshots from OBOE

 

General disclaimer

We produce these Reports using straightforward information and commonly accepted definitions, avoiding subjective judgments as much as possible. The accuracy of the Reports are dependent primarily on the accuracy of information provided by the participating orchestras.

Respectfully submitted
The Data Team, Orchestras Canada
March 2025

 

 

The OBOE/HAUTBOIS dashboard project was made possible thanks to the following generous funders:

 

Canada council for the arts logo

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. 

 

A Look Back at 2024 to Help Us Succeed in 2025

On 30 January 2025, Eric Nelson from TRG Arts gave an update on Revenue and Engagement trends from North American Orchestras participating in TRG’s Arts & Culture Benchmark. 

We looked back at 2024, including unwrapping how the holiday season performed, to confirm trends, and we looked further into 2025 to make predictions regarding how our customers and patrons will connect with us in the near future.   

Presenter: Eric Nelson, VP of Global Partnerships at TRG Arts

Eric Nelson, VP of Global Partnerships at TRG Arts, is proud to partner with performing and visual arts organizations of all shapes and sizes to grow patron participation, revenue, and community impact. Before joining TRG Arts, Eric was Director of Marketing & Communications for New York City’s Kaufman Music Center. He was also Vice President of Client Services, New Business, and Marketing for DCM, specializing in marketing and fundraising strategies for non-profit organizations. Eric started his career in the arts, leading marketing efforts for the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Eric is honoured to be on the steering committee for the League of American Orchestras LGBTQIA+ affinity group.

Replicable Revenue for Orchestras: RFMG and Data

On November 21, 2024, Eric Nelson from TRG Arts gave an update on Revenue and Engagement trends from North American Orchestras participating in TRG’s Arts & Culture Benchmark. 

In this webinar, Eric explores what the data is telling us, reviews how organizations are applying these insights via case studies, and talks about “quick wins” you can secure for your organization by applying concepts of RFMG (that is to say: Recency, Frequency, Monetary investment, and Growth) to create repeatable revenue. 

Presenter: Eric Nelson, VP of Global Partnerships at TRG Arts

Eric Nelson, VP of Global Partnerships at TRG Arts, is proud to partner with performing and visual arts organizations of all shapes and sizes to grow patron participation, revenue, and community impact. Before joining TRG Arts, Eric was Director of Marketing & Communications for New York City’s Kaufman Music Center. He was also Vice President of Client Services, New Business, and Marketing for DCM, specializing in marketing and fundraising strategies for non-profit organizations. Eric started his career in the arts, leading marketing efforts for the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Eric is honoured to be on the steering committee for the League of American Orchestras LGBTQIA+ affinity group.

Video as a Key to your Orchestra’s Digital Presence

In today’s digital-first world, where video content commands attention, orchestras need a well-crafted video strategy to stay competitive and connect with broader audiences. But a one-size-fits-all approach won’t cut it—each orchestra’s strategy should reflect its unique goals and identity. 

Presented on 8 October 2024, this engaging 60-minute webinar, led by Maarten Walraven of Symphony.live, is designed for professionals working across production, artistic, and marketing departments within orchestras. It will guide you through innovative ways to integrate video into your orchestra’s digital strategy. Whether you’re producing content or strategizing campaigns, you’ll explore how to tailor a ‘waterfall strategy’ that maximizes your video’s impact across multiple platforms.  

You’ll learn: 

  • Why video is crucial for your orchestra’s growth and audience engagement 
  • Custom video production techniques that align with your orchestra’s artistic vision 
  • How to build a personalized ‘waterfall strategy’ to effectively distribute content 
  • Ways to use video as a key driver in your orchestra’s digital evolution 

Packed with practical examples and expert insights, this webinar will equip you with actionable strategies to enhance your orchestra’s digital presence. By the end, you’ll have the tools to develop a custom video strategy that resonates with your audience and reflects your orchestra’s mission. 

Presenter: Maarten Walraven, Co-CEO & COO Symphony.live ([email protected]) 

Maarten Walraven operates at the intersection of music, technology, communities, and education. There are different hats. First and foremost, he’s Co-CEO at Symphony.live, where he pursues the mission to unite the world’s orchestras in their digital transformations. Besides that, he also teaches at the MA Applied Musicology at the University of Utrecht and is coordinator for the Water & Music Academy. If you want to follow his thinking, the best place is MUSIC x, his newsletter on the intersection of music and technology..  

Previously, Maarten pursued a PhD in History exploring the history of sound and the impact of silence and sonic technologies in late 19th Century urbanizing areas in Europe. He also worked for various TV channels around music such as Stingray Classica and Stingray DJAZZ. There, he learned how quickly the world of media changes and how important it is to have video content to be able to share stories with the world – to find audiences where they are.  

Canadian Orchestra Repertoire Report 2024

Now in its second year, the Canadian Orchestra Repertoire Report explores how we are programming female, non-binary, and IBPOC composers in 2024. This year’s report dives into the data with updates on the trends we saw in last year’s report. The research, led by Rich Coburn, meticulously analyzes over 24,000 from 51 Canadian orchestras from every budget category and every region of the country.

It also presents a brand-new programming tool. Built in consultation with orchestra administrators across the country, this tool shares every work programmed by a Canadian orchestra by a female or IBPOC composer, including instrumentation. It is designed for programmers who are looking for repertoire by more diverse composers.

This report is a collaboration between BIPOC Voices, Orchestras Canada/Orchestres Canada and the National Arts Centre Orchestra.

Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance: 2025 Pre-Budget Consultation

As is our custom, Orchestras Canada recently submitted recommendations to the Federal Standing Committee on Finance as part of that group’s pre-budget consultation process. In our brief, we make the case for:

  •  An additional, permanent investment of $270 million per year in the arts, culture, and heritage sectors, via $140 million to the Canada Council for the Arts and $130 million to the Department of Canadian Heritage.
  • A partnership between the Government of Canada and the charitable sector to evaluate the current state of charitable giving, and develop a government-wide strategy to ensure that Canadians continue to have access to
    charities’ services.
  •  Implementation of a Live Performing Arts Tax Credit, allowing organizations in the live performing arts sector to receive a tax rebate proportionate to their labour expenses.

You can read the complete brief here.

The Rhythm Of Repeat Attendance

The beat pulls us in, and the notes start to soar. We are attracting more first-time buyers than ever, and our audiences are getting younger. So why do we feel out of step? Our retention rates are at an all-time low. 

How can we get back in the groove? More repeatable revenue, at every stage of the customer journey. This session redefines churn and looks beyond “the killer offer.” 

On July 18, 2024, OC hosted a webinar in which Eric Nelson from TRG Arts discussed data trends and shared examples of how today’s successful Orchestras are crafting customer invitations that use programming, packaging, and segmentation to grow repeat revenue from customers at all stages of their attendance tenure.  

Presenter: Eric Nelson, VP of Global Partnerships at TRG Arts

Eric Nelson, VP of Global Partnerships at TRG Arts, is proud to partner with performing and visual arts organizations of all shapes and sizes to grow patron participation, revenue, and community impact. Before joining TRG Arts, Eric was Director of Marketing & Communications for New York City’s Kaufman Music Center. He was also Vice President of Client Services, New Business, and Marketing for DCM, specializing in marketing and fundraising strategies for non-profit organizations. Eric started his career in the arts, leading marketing efforts for the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Eric is honoured to be on the steering committee for the League of American Orchestras LGBTQIA+ affinity group.

Collaboration Pitch Sessions V.2

On 25 April 2024, we hosted the second edition of Collaboration Pitch Sessions. This one-hour virtual gathering provides a platform for member orchestras to pitch projects for which they’re looking for collaborators, from commissioning a new work to creating a support network for young musicians, and everything in between!

You can watch a recording of the Collaboration Pitch Session here:

Here are the pitches from this edition:

  • Oakville Symphony wants to commission a piece about the life of Amice Calverley, a composer who lived in Oakville and had a fabulous and exciting life.
  • Lethbridge Symphony Association is Requesting interested/Ontario orchestra partners to support a funding application to have an early 1900s piano work in ragtime style, composed by an Ontario composer, arranged for a full orchestra.
  • Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra is looking for collaborators to create a suite of orchestral works inspired by various National and Provincial parks across Canada.
  • Fredericton Symphony Orchestra is interested in a collaborative commission of new work by a Canadian composer for a family-oriented work suitable for a Christmas concert or any concert setting.
  • Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra is seeking letters of support, programming commitments, and commissioning opportunities for a new violin concerto.
  • Orchestre Philharmonique de la Relève du Québec seeks partners to create a support network for the next generation of professional musicians.
  • Orchestre symphonique de Laval is looking to submit a grant proposal defining a new collaboration mode between Canadian regional orchestras. The project would focus on managing artistic resources and marketing the Canadian repertoire through a commissioned work.

If you are interested in any of these pitches, please send an email to [email protected] and we will connect you with the right person to pursue the conversation!

Discover HarmonySite: A platform for easy group management

“Harmony Site has streamlined our communications with orchestra members, and gives us one place to manage all our member information and communications. Since we can easily give people permissions to edit various pieces of information within Harmony Site, it has been easier for us to share the work among multiple people. And our players like how it all looks and works!” – Kristin Hoffmann – Manager of the London Community Orchestra 

Does your orchestra manage too many spreadsheets? Do you have a significant amount of information stuck in your email inbox? Are you looking to streamline your group email communications? Are you considering integrating a member area into your website for improved efficiency? If the answer is yes, then you definitely should watch this webinar sponsored by Virtual Creations Pty LTD. to showcase their platform: HarmonySite! 

Discover HarmonySite, a powerful platform for group management and communication. Regardless of what kind of group you lead, HarmonySite can simplify administrative tasks, enhance your online presence, and foster harmonious collaboration. Gain insights from the London Community Orchestra, who have been piloting HarmonySite for the past eight months, and meet Mark Virtue, the platform creator. 

You can explore a demo version of HarmonySite here: https://demo.harmonysite.com/
username: demo
password: demo

OC will receive a financial consideration from HarmonySite for any group that signs up to the HarmonySite platform using our discount code. So, the discount code reduces your cost by 10% – and also benefits OC.  To receive the discount code, please contact [email protected]. 

The content of this webinar was developed by and sponsored by Virtual Creations Pty LTD. 

 

Presenters

Mark Virtue – Creator of HarmonySite 

Mark has been writing software professionally since 1986, and developing websites since 1996. In 2001, Mark joined a local Barbershop chorus.  He saw that they didn’t have a website, and took it upon himself to create one, designing it so that the other members of the chorus would not only be able to find any information they needed about the group’s music, events, other members, etc, but also be able to administer the site themselves, without needing to involve Mark in every change. The site was a huge success, so when Mark moved to another city, and joined another Barbershop chorus who also needed a website, Mark made them a similar site, also a success. Mark realised that there may be many groups around the world that may need a website like this, and decided to invest more time in making it suitable for any type of music performance group:  Choirs, orchestras, marching/concert bands, theatre groups, etc.  HarmonySite was born. 

Mark lives in the small town of Mullumbimby, on the East Coast of Australia, with his wife and children. 

Kristin Hoffmann – Manager of the London Community Orchestra 

Kristin Hoffmann is a violinist and manager of the London Community Orchestra, an amateur orchestra in London, Ontario celebrating its 50th anniversary season this year.