We are your audience.

At Cadenza, we care about the future of classical music. We believe it needs to thrive for its artists, and also for its immense cultural value. And, we are patrons: you might say that we care this much because we are your audience!

We are here to provide leadership, guidance, and support in critical areas of your organization, often that fall outside the immediate purview of musicians and artists - areas such as digital, technology, marketing, innovation, and even business strategy. We bring Fortune 100 experience, and their best practices, to you, with the ultimate intent of helping you fulfill your mission.

We Do What We Know

We have a focused set of offerings to help complement your team and give you the boost in critical areas of your journey. While we may not be the replacement horn player you need for Mahler’s 1st (!!!), when it comes to some key parts of your organization’s success, we are here for you, and have the industry know-how to help.

These are services we have provided to the world’s largest companies and to classical music organizations alike. We do what we know, and we know how to do it for you.

  • Creating and executing on a digital strategy - across web, mobile, social, media, and marketing - will propel your mission forward, allow you to conduct business, and deliver your story that will help stand out amongst others. Digital is the highway upon which commerce happens, and a great digital offering can make all the difference. “Getting it right” is complex, and involves technology, marketing, strategy, and even legal, working in concert together.

  • There is no substitute for being able to tell a great story. As it was critical for the great composers, it is for you. Marketing is about crafting that story, your brand and its expression, and getting it out to your audiences, both old and new.

  • Innovation comes in many forms, from the works you perform to the collaborations you undertake as well as platforms on which you deliver all of it - the technologies and digital solutions. Being innovative can be a game-changer for you and your audiences (as well as a culture-changer for your team), and lead you to new heights. But innovation doesn’t just happen from good ideas. It takes careful planning and experience to execute and “make the ideas come to life”.

  • The great companies know that crafting a mission, and then developing a strategy to fulfill that mission, is the rallying cry around which their team and audiences resonate. In the classical music world, these strategies are equally critical - and equally comprehensive - ranging from artistic initiatives to Board development, financial health, fundraising, structure and talent management, culture, and day-to-day operations.

It Takes a Bit of Courage

We understand that the first step in digital, technology, and innovation initiatives involves a bit of courage: to know your own limitations (in experience, knowledge, and/or capacity) and translate that into partnerships that help achieve the results you want.

It also takes the courage of action, to move from “I want” to “I’m ready to do.” These are initiatives that must be done collaboratively - you are the owner of your vision, after all - and nothing will happen unless you are ready.

Remember, the value of succeeding in these areas is high, and the cost of underperforming is often even higher. We are ready to help when you are ready for the help.

Case Study: “The Lineup Drop”

Cadenza secured a historic solo slot for the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra at Lollapalooza - the first time an orchestra, let alone a youth symphony, has performed solo at a major global music festival.

To build excitement ahead of the official lineup drop, one of the most anticipated moments of the festival, Cadenza partnered with C3 Presents to launch a bold new initiative: student-composed and student-performed “tease” videos hinting at the artists to come.

The result? Over 2 million views, thousands of enthusiastic comments, and a surge of recognition for the orchestra. More importantly, it created an unforgettable moment for the students involved.

Case Study: “Tiltbrush Concerto”

When working as an agency leader, our founder conceived and spearheaded an innovative experience that blurred the lines between technology and the arts. “Tilt Brush Concerto” became a realtime collaboration between the students and a pioneering Virtual Reality artist, Samuel Barber’s “Adagio For Strings” came to life in VR using Google’s Tilt Brush technology. While performing the piece, the artist simultaneously “painted” within Tilt Brush, and the digital output was projected around the hall for all to experience. This project gained attention and took the team to SXSW for a presentation and roundtable with the artist and music director.