Princeton Symphony Orchestra Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MISSION OF THE PRINCETON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA IS TO LEVERAGE THE POWER OF LIVE MUSIC TO UPLIFT THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE.
- Income
- $4.8 million
- Spending
- $4.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 83%
- Reserves
- 4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 67%
- Employees
- 269
- Volunteers
- 88
- Highest pay
- $242,297, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 68% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 9% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 10% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 63% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1583% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2525 of 25 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $1.4 million spent. PERFORMING CLASSICAL MASTERWORKS - A FULL SEASON OF 7 PAIRS OF CONCERTS WAS PRESENTED AT RICHARDSON AUDITORIUM. A TOTAL AUDIENCE OF 10,073 WAS REACHED. 23 CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERTS WERE PRESENTED TO A TOTAL OF 2,091 PEOPLE. WHETHER PERFORMING CLASSICAL MASTERWORKS, INTRODUCING MUSIC BY LIVING COMPOSERS, OR HOSTING FAMILIES AND STUDENTS AT THEIR FIRST SYMPHONY PERFORMANCE, THE PRINCETON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, INC. (PSO) IS A CULTURAL CENTERPIECE OF THE PRINCETON COMMUNITY AND ONE OF NEW JERSEY'S FINEST MUSIC ORGANIZATIONS. LED BY MUSIC DIRECTOR ROSSEN MILANOV, THE PSO OFFERS CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ORCHESTRAL, POPS, AND CHAMBER MUSIC PROGRAMS AS WELL AS LECTURES AND EVENTS DESIGNED TO CONNECT THE PUBLIC TO MUSIC. THROUGH PSO BRAVO!, THE ORCHESTRA PRODUCES WIDE-REACHING AND INNOVATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS, CARRIED OUT IN PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. A FIVE-TIME GRANTEE OF THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS, THE PSO IS ALSO A MULTIPLE-YEAR RECIPIENT OF THE NEW JERSEY STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS' HIGHEST HONORS - A CITATION OF EXCELLENCE AND DESIGNATION AS A MAJOR ARTS INSTITUTION. THE PSO HAS ALSO EARNED AWARDS FROM ASCAP FOR ADVENTUROUS PROGRAMMING AND FROM THE AARON COPLAND FUND. THE ONLY PROFESSIONAL ORCHESTRA TO MAKE ITS HOME IN PRINCETON, THE PSO PERFORMS AT HISTORIC RICHARDSON AUDITORIUM ON THE CAMPUS OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY AS WELL AS AT OTHER VENUES THROUGHOUT CENTRAL NEW JERSEY.
- $1.8 million spent. THE PRINCETON FESTIVAL WAS ONCE AGAIN PRESENTED UNDER A LARGE (11,000SQF) CLEARSPAN PERFORMANCE PAVILLION ON THE GROUNDS OF MORVEN MUSEUM & GARDEN. IN TOTAL, 10 PERFORMANCES IN THE PAVILLION AND 3 PERFORMANCES IN TRINITY CHURCH ACROSS THE ROAD AS WELL AS ACCOMPANYING EDUCATIONAL LECTURES AND ANCILLARY EVENTS. PERFORMANCES INCLUDED A GALA PERFORMANCES WITH RENEE FLEMING, A FULLY STAGED PRODUCTION OF PUCCINI'S TOSCA, ORCHESTRAL POPS, BAROQUE, CHAMBER, DANCE, AND BROADWAY. A TOTAL LIVE AUDIENCE OF 6,898 WAS SERVED. FOUNDED IN 2004, THE PRINCETON FESTIVAL QUICKLY ESTABLISHED A REPUTATION FOR ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING IN THE PERFORMING ARTS. EVERY YEAR IN JUNE, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FROM THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION AND BEYOND COME TO THE FESTIVAL TO ENJOY THE QUALITY AND VARIETY OF ITS PROGRAMS. OFFERINGS INCLUDE OPERA AND MUSICAL THEATER AND A CONSTANTLY EVOLVING SELECTION OF OTHER GENRES, INCLUDING DANCE, WORLD MUSIC, ORCHESTRAL POPS, CHORAL CONCERTS, COUNTRY MUSIC, AND CHAMBER RECITALS. THE FESTIVAL HAS LONG-STANDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND LOCAL CHURCHES, AND PROMOTES LIFE-LONG LEARNING IN THE ARTS THROUGH FREE EDUCATIONAL LECTURES PRESENTED TO A WIDE AND DIVERSE COMMUNITY. FOLLOWING ITS MERGER WITH THE PSO IN 2021, THE PRINCETON FESTIVAL HAS BEEN PRESENTED UNDER AN ENORMOUS PERFORMANCE PAVILLION ON THE BEAUTIFUL GROUNDS OF MORVEN MUSEUM & GARDEN, FURTHERING THE LONG-HELD VISION TO DEVELOP THE FESTIVAL AS A DESTINATION EVENT, AND TO ENGAGE MORE FULLY WITH PRINCETON'S DOWNTOWN AREA.
- $424,727 spent. EDUCATION - ACTIVITIES INCLUDED 68 CLASSROOM VISITS, A "LISTEN-UP" WORKSHOP, AND 2 "SCHOOLDAY" CONCERTS. PSO'S PARTNERSHIP WITH YOCJ CONTINUED, WITH IN-PERSON REHEARSALS WITH PSO'S ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR. PSO MUSICIANS RAN SECTIONALS AND MASTERCLASSES. THESE COACHINGS WERE ALSO OFFERED TO GPYO FOR THE FIRST TIME. ACTIVITIES WITH THE PRINCETON FESTIVAL INCLUDED AN INSTRUMENT PETTING ZOO AND A SERIES OF OPERA WORKSHOPS TITLED "MUSIC THAT TELLS A STORY" TOTAL LIVE AUDIENCE: 11,537. PRINCETON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (PSO) HAS A DYNAMIC IMPACT ON THE LIVES AND EDUCATION OF CHILDREN, INCLUDING UNDERSERVED AND DISADVANTAGED YOUTH. THE ACCLAIMED EDUCATION PROGRAM BRAVO! IS A MAINSTAY OF PSO ACTIVITIES, REACHING MORE THAN 10,000 STUDENTS ANNUALLY. NOW IN ITS 30TH YEAR, BRAVO!'S TOURING SMALL-ENSEMBLE PROGRAM ESTABLISHES PSO MUSICIANS IN TEACHING PARTNERSHIPS AT MORE THAN 30 PUBLIC, PRIVATE, AND SPECIAL-NEEDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT CENTRAL NEW JERSEY. FULL-ORCHESTRA PERFORMANCES FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE HELD EACH SPRING. AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL, BRAVO! OFFERS LISTEN UP!, A PROGRAM WHICH BRINGS STUDENTS TO CLASSICAL SERIES CONCERTS AND INVITES THEM TO CREATE VISUAL ART IN RESPONSE TO THE MUSIC THEY HEAR. HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE INSTRUMENTALISTS GAIN INVALUABLE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES THROUGH BRAVO! MASTERCLASSES, TAUGHT BY WORLD-RENOWNED ARTISTS. SINCE FY21, THE PSO HAS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF CENTRAL JERSEY (YOCJ) IN WHICH THE PSO'S ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR LEADS YOCJ'S TOP ENSEMBLE, AND PSO MUSICIANS WORK CLOSELY WITH STUDENTS AS PROFESSIONAL MENTORS. MENTORSHIP BY PSO MUSICIANS WAS EXTENDED TO STUDENTS OF THE GREATER PRINCETON YOUTH ORCHESTRA (GPYO) FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FY25. FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH COLLEGE, BRAVO! INSPIRES THE NEXT GENERATION OF MUSICIANS AND AUDIENCES. PSO SOUNDTRACKS IS A LECTURE SERIES WHICH OFFERS INSIGHTS ABOUT WHAT GOES INTO ORCHESTRATING A CONCERT BY A PROFESSIONAL SYMPHONY. THE SERIES DELVES INTO DIVERSE TOPICS RELATED TO THE MUSIC THAT THE PSO PERFORMS AND WHAT HAPPENS BEHIND THE SCENES: EVERYTHING FROM WHO CHOOSES THE MUSIC, TO HOW INDIVIDUAL MUSICIANS AND SECTIONS SHAPE THE SOUND OF THE ORCHESTRA, TO THE STORIES BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL AND OFTEN RARE INSTRUMENTS OWNED AND MAINTAINED BY MEMBERS OF THE PSO. LECTURES ARE HELD AT THE PRINCETON PUBLIC LIBRARY, AND ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 1980.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
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