MUSICA NOVA INC
The greatest music you've never heard - yet.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Community Concert Series
MusicaNova Community Concerts are informal, family-friendly events presenting a wide variety of musical styles. You’ll hear everything from old favorites to world premieres of classical and chamber music, pops, jazz and Broadway, and world music. Many concerts are interactive.
Educational Outreach and Collaboration
MusicaNova conductors, composers, and musicians visit partner schools and organizations around the Valley of the Sun to play and talk about their inspirations, aspirations, and life as musicians. Outstanding students from the partner schools may be invited to play in an MNO performing series.
Composition Fellows Program
Finds fine young composers from around the world, selects one of their works, mentors them through the entire preparation and rehearsal process, and presents the work as a world premiere at a MusicaNova Orchestra concert.
Orchestra Concert Series
The Orchestra Concerts Series by the professional MusicaNova Orchestra plays great new and neglected music – not the same “greatest hits” you hear everywhere – and presents the finest emerging talent. We are innovative, surprising and entertaining.
Where we work
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?
Musica Nova, Inc., has identified four key goals in our Strategic Plan:
Growing Our Financial Security: We will establish a robust and sustainable funding plan that will enable us to keep the MusicaNova Orchestra and our collaborative efforts operational over the next three seasons. We will keep our commitment to operate as a professional ensemble for all our Orchestra Concerts, and will prudently engage artists, venues, and professional services that support our mission and vision and enable us to attain our goals while remaining solvent.
Growing Our Audience: The MusicaNova Orchestra has an outstanding reputation with its players, current audience, and many classical music fans around the world. We will leverage that name recognition within the Phoenix area and will vigorously reach out to spread the word about the MusicaNova experience to potential audience members.
Growing Our Collaborations: MusicaNova has a history of successful collaborations with public and private schools, conservatories and private teachers, and other community arts organizations. We will extend our relationships with current partners, and we'll seek out new partnerships with schools, performing arts companies, and arts organizations – particularly those in the Phoenix Central Arts District – with whom to create new collaborative performing opportunities of all types.
Growing Our Programming: We will grow our musical programming in orchestral, young artists, and collaborative concerts by presenting new interpretations of classic pieces and works by well-known (and not so well-known) composers, as we continue the MusicaNova tradition of bringing important new discoveries and neglected works to our audience. We recognize the importance of having familiar names and works in our programs, and we will energize our audiences through our performances of them. We will also continue our tradition of presenting exceptionally talented young composers and performers in our orchestral, young artist, and collaborative concerts.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
MusicaNova has identified success factors and performance indicators for achieving each strategic goal.
Financial Security Success Factors
• Big Money: We will assertively seek out and manage applications for local and regional grants from foundations and corporations. Board members will represent MusicaNova with granting organizations as needed to represent the organization's need for and use of grants.
• Small Money: We will expand our individual donation program by establishing a supporting membership category for regular monthly support (similar to that
Audience Growth Success Factors:
• Publicity and Marketing: We will upgrade our public outreach through targeted advertising in local media and more effective use of the Web, email, and social media. We will join and become active in advocacy groups, particularly those in our principal communities in the Phoenix Arts District and Scottsdale. Our volunteers and good-will ambassadors will make frequent person-to-person contact with groups and individuals who want to learn about classical music in general, and MusicaNova in particular.
• Building our Paying Audience: We will leverage our increased public presence into a larger paid audience at both our orchestra and young artists concerts by assertively promoting ticket sales with all our constituents, including past ticket buyers, orchestra contacts, and our collaborators. We will actively survey and track audience interests and satisfaction with our programs.
Growing Collaboration Success Factors:
• Collaborating With Schools: Our current partnerships with schools are a wonderful source of two-way engagement, with participation of individual musicians in MusicaNova orchestral and young artists concerts and artist development workshops. We will seek out and establish similar relationships with appropriate public or private secondary schools, colleges, and music education foundations.
• Collaborating With Arts Organizations: We seek to extend our partnerships with community and professional arts organizations including the Phoenix Central Arts District, Local First Arizona, Artlink Phoenix, and the Downtown Phoenix Partnership. We're particularly interested in new works, including both traditional and experimental styles.
Programming Growth Success Factors:
• More Familiar Names: We'll ensure that our season concert programs will feature composers and works that are well known to the general public, as well as some less frequently heard works by those composers and new and exciting interpretation of their more standard repertoire.
• More New Names: We will bring new works by brilliant contemporary composers to the stage for the first time, and feature young and emerging virtuoso artists who we are confident will become major contributors to 21st Century classical music.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Separating MNO board and operational activities, and limiting the board's scope to strategy, governance, and fundraising were a good start. To move forward, two key answers to the title question emerged:
• Internal (what the board does for itself}: Define a process for growing the board, then grow it to “12 disciples" who will be Investment Counselors for MNO, responsible for the organization's financial health
• External (what the board does outside the organization): Penetrate the Phoenix area arts community to grow awareness and the audience and donor base, and thereby greater financial security
MNO's commitment to fulfilling our mission meant we needed guidance on the “how" in the answers. Effective and appropriate actions were compiled during the retreat. We understand this will be a multi-year process so we are starting with the most immediate needs, including updating the board's duties and responsibilities, understanding the diversity of our audience and musicians, and searching for new board members who are "investment councilors" able to articulate MNO's message.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We've identified success in 5 Scoreboard KPIs, partial success in xx, and unsatisfactory progress in xx.
Successful KPIs include gaining new grants, adding educational partnerships, presenting a major collaborative project, gaining high audience "delighted" ratings, and playing at least one new composition per season.
Partially successful KPIs include fundraising activities (one per season to date) and collaborative and young artists concerts house capacity goals (satisfied for young artists).
We've made unsatisfactory progress to date in reaching our goals in orchestra concert house capacity, season funding completion by specific dates, and end-of-season budget surplus.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback
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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- 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.
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.
MUSICA NOVA INC
Board of directorsas of 09/13/2023
Robert Leger
MusicaNova Orchestra
Term: 2022 - 2024
Warren Cohen
MusicaNova Orchestra
Elizabeth McKinnon
Retired
Ethel Harris
Self-employed
Gary Moss
Scottsdale Christian Academy
Robert Leger
Self-employed
Jill Osborne
EDUPrize
Victoria Gonzalez
Tempe Elementary School District
Jill Sullivan
Arizona State University
Margaret Koontz
Retired
Eily Hallagan
Valley Violins
David Mawyer
Arizona Best Real Estate
Etiem Rivera Gonzales
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? Yes -
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? No
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:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 09/13/2023GuideStar 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 employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.