BOSTON, MA — Soundmirror, the preeminent classical music recording and post-production company in the U.S., announced today that it has become a 100% employee-owned business through the establishment of a worker-owned cooperative agreement.
The company, which has studios in Boston, has been recording orchestras, opera companies, and leading classical artists around the world for over fifty years, collecting over 135 GRAMMY nominations and awards in that time. The move to employee ownership was chosen as a mechanism to sustain the company’s long history of exceptional recording and post-production services, as founder and president John Newton transitions to retirement.
“I am excited about the possibilities this evolution opens up for Soundmirror,” says Newton. “Our company was built on the strength and reputation of our exceptionally talented staff, and I know that it will continue to thrive in the hands of the employees who have made it so successful.” Newton will remain at the company through a transition period.
Founded by Newton in 1972, Soundmirror has recorded hundreds of orchestras and opera companies around the world including the National Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Washington National Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Dallas Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Minnesota Opera, and many others.
A worker-owned cooperative is a business owned and controlled by its employees, where ownership is shared equally among those who choose to buy into the company. The new model will not change the services or operations of Soundmirror; the three senior engineers and producers of the company, Mark Donahue, Blanton Alspaugh, and Dirk Sobotka, who now cooperatively own the company along with general manager Alexis Price, will continue to provide world-class recording services and are eager to collaboratively lead the company through the next phase of its growth and development.
“Collectively, the four of us have been with Soundmirror for over 85 years,” said Mark Donahue, the company’s Chief Engineer. “We knew this model was the best way to preserve Soundmirror’s reputation and build on the legacy that John started.”
“We congratulate Soundmirror on its transition to employee ownership,” said Allison Curtis, Business Conversions Program Director at The ICA Group, who assisted Soundmirror with the transition. “The worker-owned cooperative model recognizes and rewards employees who care and deeply understand the mission of the company, and who are committed to its long-term success. All of these things are true at Soundmirror and the new employee owners are well-positioned to build on its strong foundation of success in the years to come.”
ABOUT SOUNDMIRROR
Founded in 1972, Soundmirror has for over fifty years been the leading recording and production company of classical music in the U.S. World class customer service combined with a respected team of experienced engineers and producers are the trademark of Soundmirror. The company’s orchestral, solo, opera, and chamber recordings have received 135 GRAMMY nominations and awards as well as special commendations from prestigious publications. The company has recorded for every major classical record label in the world, including BMG, CBS, Chandos, Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Naxos, Nonesuch, PentaTone Classics, Reference Recordings, Sony Classical, Telarc, and Warner/Elektra.
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