THE MOZARTISTS

Registered charity 1063387 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as CLASSICAL OPERA, THE CLASSICAL OPERA COMPANY

The advancement of the education of the public in the art of music with particular reference to opera

Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£689k

Latest spending

£699k

Registered

1997

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a deficit of £9,818 for the year ended 31 August 2025, with total reserves decreasing to £461,665. Per the trustees' report, free available reserves of £236,497 were slightly below the policy target of £240,000, a variance deemed acceptable given economic risks. The charity relies heavily on voluntary income, which is not guaranteed, and holds sufficient cash to meet immediate commitments.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £80,001 - £90,000 — in the top quarter for charities its size (median £60k)

“One employee received emoluments of more than £80,000 and less than £89,999 during 2025” — page 23

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Employees paid over £60,000: 1

“One employee received emoluments of more than £80,000 and less than £89,999 during 2025 (2024: one).” — page 23

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £236k; policy: 3-4 months of overhead costs plus budgeted expenditure for imminent live performance and recording costs)

“At 31 August 2025 the minimum level of free reserves required under the reserves policy was calculated at £240,000. The charity held £236,497 of general reserves at the year-end date, slightly below the amount needed under the reserves policy.” — page 9

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Donations from Trustees and related parties

“The total amount of donations received without conditions from Trustees and related parties during the reporting period was £55,002(2024: £31.716). There were no outstanding balances with related parties at the year end date (2024: £Nil). In view of the charity’s legal status the charity Trustees consider that there is no ultimate controlling party to be disclosed under the provisions of Financial Reporting Standard No. 8.” — page 28

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 6 of 6 completeness components.

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

The Arts Society — “We would also like to thank the following Partners for their generous support of The Mozartists: Trusts and Foundations The Arts Society” (source page)

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/08/2025)

Total income

£689k

Total spending

£699k

Cost of raising funds

£80k

Reserves (reported)

£236k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~4.1 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 11.6% of total income — above the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Alistair Buchananchair
CATHARINE DOUGLAS · trustee of 1 other charity
DAVID JOHN CHALLEN CBE · trustee of 1 other charity
Lucy Davison
MARK PEMBERTON
Peter Bryan Gurmin Williams

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Throughout London

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/08/2025	£689k	£699k
31/08/2024	£610k	£567k
31/08/2023	£533k	£500k
31/08/2022	£475k	£441k
31/08/2021	£427k	£377k

Common questions

Is THE MOZARTISTS financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a deficit of £9,818 for the year ended 31 August 2025, with total reserves decreasing to £461,665. Per the trustees' report, free available reserves of £236,497 were slightly below the policy target of £240,000, a variance deemed acceptable given economic risks. The charity relies heavily on voluntary income, which is not guaranteed, and holds sufficient cash to meet immediate commitments. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

What does the highest-paid employee of THE MOZARTISTS earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £80,001 - £90,000 band, and 1 employees earned over £60,000.

Who funds THE MOZARTISTS?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE MOZARTISTS as a grant recipient include CONTINUO FOUNDATION, THE REED FOUNDATION, THE SCOPS ARTS TRUST, THE IDLEWILD TRUST, THE OLDHURST TRUST.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
CONTINUO FOUNDATION	FY2022	£126k
THE REED FOUNDATION	FY2022	£53k	Christmas Challenge
THE SCOPS ARTS TRUST	FY2023	£10k	Music Education & Engagement (children)
THE IDLEWILD TRUST	FY2024	£7k
THE IDLEWILD TRUST	FY2022	£5k
THE OLDHURST TRUST	FY2024	£5k
THE OLDHURST TRUST	FY2023	£5k
THE HOBSON CHARITY LIMITED	FY2025	£5k	Music
THE VERNON ELLIS FOUNDATION	FY2022	£3k
THE OLDHURST TRUST	FY2025	£2k
THE GOLSONCOTT FOUNDATION	FY2024	£1k
THE OLDHURST TRUST	FY2022	£0
The Ashley Family Foundation	FY2024	£0
THE FENTON ARTS TRUST	FY2022	£0
The Ashley Family Foundation	FY2025	£0

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
UK government	22/10/2021	£46k	Culture Recovery Fund: Continuity Support

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
PETER STORMONTH DARLING CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£70k
DR RADCLIFFE'S TRUST	2	£6k
THE ARDEOLA CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£1.8m
THE THOMPSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£850k
Genesis Foundation	1	£299k
COLWINSTON CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£80k
CHK Foundation	1	£60k
THE ROPER FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£58k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE MERRY OPERA COMPANY.

THE MERRY OPERA COMPANY income £178k
LONGBOROUGH FESTIVAL OPERA income £3.0m
THE LONDON MOZART PLAYERS TRUST income £1.3m
THE SIXTEEN income £1.7m
EARLY MUSIC AS EDUCATION income £137k
LYRITA NIMBUS ARTS income £134k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE MOZARTISTS	£689k	£80,001 - £90,000	1	below	—	no doubt
THE MERRY OPERA COMPANY FY2025	£178k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
LONGBOROUGH FESTIVAL OPERA FY2025	£3.0m	£60,001 - £70,000	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE LONDON MOZART PLAYERS TRUST FY2025	£1.3m	£60,001 - £70,000	1	above	—	no doubt
THE SIXTEEN FY2024	£1.7m	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
EARLY MUSIC AS EDUCATION FY2025	£137k	—	0	within	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.