Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Aug 1959.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
78 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
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Who runs it and what they're paid
47 people listed on the 990; $1.6M paid to officers and key staff.
Mark Niehaus’s $387K as President & Executive Director is at the 62nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 749 $10–100M arts & culture nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.
Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII
| Name | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Niehaus | $386,665 | $368,285 | $381,635 | $261,603 | $264,510 | $286,794 |
| Ken-David Masur | $329,617 | $316,999 | — | $215,738 | $184,728 | — |
| Ken Masur | — | — | $292,290 | — | — | — |
| Jinwoo Lee | $191,627 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tom Lindow | $190,264 | $165,276 | — | — | — | — |
| Susan Loris | — | — | — | — | $154,763 | $147,863 |
| Monica Kristine Meyer Beale | $151,970 | $130,374 | — | — | — | — |
| Bret Dorhout | $143,495 | $135,252 | $134,266 | $127,293 | $121,833 | $128,604 |
Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.
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Questions the 990 asks
The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.
- Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
- Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Programs and updates
Presents professional orchestral performances and provides integrated music education programs to local school children and families.
Questions for Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra INC
Your first name shows with your question. Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra INC answers here, for everyone.
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The milwaukee symphony orchestra, led by music director ken-david masur, is among the finest orchestras in the nation and the largest cultural institution in wisconsin. Since its inception in 1959, the mso has found innovative ways to give music a home in the region, develop music appreciation and talent among area youth, and raise the…
The mso's standard of excellence extends beyond the concert hall and into the community, reaching more than 30,000 children and their families through its arts in community education (ace) program, youth and teen concerts, family series, and meet the music pre-concert talks.
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2025 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY25 | End FY25 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $1.3M | $1.4M |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $410K | $348K |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $128.5M | $145.2M |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $6.8M | $8.4M |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $121.7M | $136.7M |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $952K | $750K | $202K | |
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $10.1M | $9.4M | $248K | $446K |
| Pension plan contributionsLn 8 | $762K | $671K | $51K | $41K |
| Other employee benefitsLn 9 | $1.9M | $1.7M | $163K | $109K |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $802K | $695K | $59K | $49K |
| Professional fundraising feesLn 11e | $62K | $62K | ||
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $1.8M | $1.6M | $29K | $129K |
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $1.3M | $1.2M | $41K | $6K |
| Office expensesLn 13 | $202K | $68K | $31K | $104K |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $4.4M | $1.9M | $2.5M | $24K |
| TravelLn 17 | $19K | $18K | $770 | |
| Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19 | $53K | $30K | $12K | $11K |
| InterestLn 20 | $41K | $41K | ||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $108K | $108K | ||
| InsuranceLn 23 | $87K | $53K | $34K | |
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $975K | $869K | $95K | $11K |
| All other expensesLn 24e | $7K | $7K | ||
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $23.5M | $18.3M | $4.0M | $1.2M |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 Latest Viewing | $19.8M | $23.5M | −$3.7M | $136.7M | 990 PDF |
| FY2024 | $20.4M | $23.6M | −$3.3M | $121.7M | 990 PDF |
| FY2023 | $18.5M | $23.3M | −$4.8M | $116.8M | 990 PDF |
| FY2022 | $27.2M | $22.3M | $4.9M | $114.3M | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 | $33.2M | $13.9M | $19.3M | $113.2M | 990 PDF |
| FY2020 | $34.7M | $16.2M | $18.5M | $87.9M | 990 PDF |
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Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $19,800,512 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 33 of 35 board members independent, no flags
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $19,800,512 across 12 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $23,482,388 across 17 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $145,170,901 assets, 15 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $136,738,014 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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