NEW ENGLAND PHILHARMONIC, INC
Innovation and Tradition in Concert
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The principal challenges the NEP has are: growing the Board by creating a pipeline from subscribers and audience, and building audience interest in, appreciation of and excitement about contemporary classical music -- to recognize it as the current stage in the evolution of classical music through the centuries. NEP is recognized and lauded by critics and composers for its distinctive programming and the quality of it performances, but as 'unsung heroes' and 'under appreciated' in the rich musical community in Boston. Accompanying these needs are to grow the donor base, and to obtain increased visibility for the Chamber Players as an outreach arm of the organization.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
New England Philharmonic Concerts
The New England Philharmonic performs four full orchestra concerts each season, playing a combination of modern - 20th and 21st century - and less frequently performed traditional classical music. The works are programmed sometimes for their similarities and sometimes for their contrasts, but always with thought to their relationship. Living composers of the modern works often attend and speak with the audience.
The Family Concert each December introduces children to sections of the orchestra and engages their participation in one or more pieces, such as learning the rhythm and clapping to it, following the repetition in a round, or, for example, howling like wolves whenever a specific motif is played. A 'petting zoo' of child size instruments follows each Family Concert.
Call for Scores
Established in 1985, the Call for Scores is a competition open to composers around the world to submit recently written pieces. One is selected for performance during the following season.
Composer-in-Residence
The New England Philharmonic established a Composer-in-Residence program in 1985. To date there have been seven incumbents, all of whom have been commissioned to write compositions for the NEP. The incumbent also reviews all scores submitted to the annual Call for Scores competition and recommends finalists to the Music Director who makes the award. The winning composition is performed by the NEP during the following season.
Young Artist Competition
Established in 1994, the Young Artist Competition is open to junior and senior high school students in the greater Boston area. Conducted each fall, the winner plays a concerto with the New England Philharmonic on the program of the Family Concert in December.
New England Philharmonic Chamber Players
The Chamber Players initiative was launched in January 2015. It has two goals: provide opportunity for musicians from the orchestra to participate in selecting and performing music written for small ensembles, and to increase the NEP's visibility across the Boston metropolitan area through performances at venues such as Boston Children's Museum, Boston Athenaeum, Neighborhood House Charter School, Peabody Essex Museum, Needham Council on Aging, Cape Ann Museum, and others.
Where we work
Awards
Adventurous programming 2013
ASCAP
External reviews
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Grow the Board from six members to ten.
Increase attendance at full orchestra concerts to 400 at each of four full orchestra concerts.
Obtain funding to support the transition from a half-time general manager position to full-time.
Grow the donor base and increase the number of donors giving $5,000 or more, including obtaining sponsors for each concert and for soloists and guest artists.
Grow the Chamber Players initiative to 12 events per year, with up to four of those with established Boston and area institutions for which unique programs are created to reflect their initiatives and/or collections, and with up to four reaching diverse audiences in areas of the city with less access to musical education and events.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
These goals will be reviewed and reaffirmed or modified, and the strategies for reaching the selected goals will be discussed in depth and defined specifically during the 2020-21 season.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
This will be one of the critical discussions by the Board during the 2020-21 season. The goals and strategies must be realistic for an organization with a half-time general manager and a board of six. At present members of the Board do a significant amount of work to complement and supplement what the General Manager can accomplish.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Concert attendance has increased from an average of 125/concert in 2010-11 to around 215/concert in the last two seasons.
The donor base of individuals includes three donors giving $5,000 or more, and six giving from $2,500-$4,999. The total donor base has grown to 175.
Donations and other income cover operating expenses but not yet investment to convert the management role to full-time.
The Chamber Players, formed in 2015, have established ongoing relationships with key institutions including the Boston Athenaeum, Boston Children's Museum, Peabody Essex Museum, Neighborhood House Charter School, and just recently with Cape Ann Museum. They have played at a wide variety of additional venues either once or more, but not with the same level of involvement in developing unique programs to complement their collections and/or initiatives.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
NEW ENGLAND PHILHARMONIC, INC
Board of directorsas of 01/19/2024
Mr. John Kessen
State Park, Mamaleh's, Vincent's (restaurants)
Term: 2017 -
John F Guthrie
The New England (Met Life) - retired
John Kessen
State Park, Mamaleh's, Café du Pays (restaurants)
Jennifer Snodgrass
Boston Museum of Fine Arts Press
Ann Teixeira
Sun Life of Canada - retired; Ann Teixeira Consulting
John Walsh
Fedex - retired
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Not applicable -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
No data
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 11/01/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.