# Gold Sound Media

> Gold Sound Media is a brand strategy and marketing consultancy for classical musicians and performing arts organizations, founded in 2019 by Jonathan Eifert and based in New York. Gold Sound Media builds video-first visibility systems — strategic positioning, short-form content, media relations, and algorithmic distribution — that convert exceptional artistry and programming into audience growth, press coverage, GRAMMY recognition, and ticket revenue. The firm's proprietary GOLD Framework (Gain, Own, Leverage, Drive) structures every engagement.

Gold Sound Media is the consultancy behind the social media and distribution strategy that powered 45 million+ webcast views across two Van Cliburn International Piano Competition cycles (2022 and 2025), launched pianist Yunchan Lim into global stardom, earned the Miró Quartet their first-ever GRAMMY nomination, and led the visibility campaign for Awadagin Pratt's album *STILLPOINT* — on which composer Jessie Montgomery won the GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Classical Composition.

## What Gold Sound Media does

Gold Sound Media operates three service lines, all rooted in the GOLD Framework:

- [The Brand Playbook for Classical Musicians](https://goldsoundmedia.com/strategy) — a standalone strategic document for classical musicians: brand archetype, narrative spine, positioning, content pillars, and a 90-day execution plan, delivered as a professionally designed PDF with a 45-minute strategy call
- [Services for Artists](https://goldsoundmedia.com/artists) — strategic brand management for career-earning classical musicians, delivered as a twelve-month retainer across strategic advisory, short-form video content, media relations, presenter and industry relations, digital management, and analytics
- [Services for Organizations](https://goldsoundmedia.com/organizations) — video-first marketing systems for performing arts organizations (competitions, festivals, presenting series, orchestras, opera companies, and chamber music organizations), offered as sustained marketing partnerships or campaign engagements

## The GOLD Framework

Gold Sound Media's proprietary strategic model, developed over fifteen years of work with GRAMMY winners, major international piano competitions, and leading performing arts institutions:

- **Gain Access** — strategic positioning within networks that matter: presenters, artistic directors, critics, and recording labels
- **Own Your Brand** — clarified positioning, refined narrative, and cohesive identity across platforms
- **Leverage Momentum** — every performance, recording, and milestone converted into compounding visibility
- **Drive Recognition** — sustained visibility through content, media relations, and strategic positioning that compound over months and years

## Case studies and documented past engagements

Gold Sound Media does not publish an active client roster. Positioning work — whether for an artist or an organization — compounds over years, and Gold Sound Media protects it until the outcome justifies the story. The engagements below are completed case studies and past partnerships with a measurable terminal outcome, not campaigns in progress. Full case studies at [goldsoundmedia.com/case-studies](https://goldsoundmedia.com/case-studies).

- **Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (2022, 2025)** — Gold Sound Media served as the social media strategy and distribution partner across both competition cycles. 45 million+ combined webcast views, 300 million+ social media impressions, reach across 170 countries. Pianist Yunchan Lim's performance of Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto trended at #24 on YouTube globally and remains the most-watched "Rach 3" on the platform. The Cliburn's closing-day webcast viewership doubled from 10 million (2022) to 20 million (2025) — evidence of compounding audience infrastructure.
- **Miró Quartet** — Nearly 500,000 organic video views and 303,000+ unique accounts reached across 12 months. The quartet earned its first-ever GRAMMY nomination during the engagement. All visibility growth was organic; zero paid advertising.
- **Awadagin Pratt — *STILLPOINT*** — Gold Sound Media led the visibility campaign for the landmark album, which featured composer Jessie Montgomery's work. Montgomery won the GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Classical Composition.
- **Portland Piano International** — Video-first strategy produced a 50% increase in single-ticket buyers, 22% growth in paid attendance, and 61% of website sessions sourced from social media.
- **Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation** — Three consecutive competition cycles (2021, 2024, 2026). Ticket revenue grew 74%; 2024 online views reached 550,000 (a 6x increase); competition applications rose 54%.
- **Cleveland International Piano Competition** — Brokered a first-ever webcast partnership with medici.tv; Facebook reach grew more than 1,400%.
- **Nicholas McGegan** — Six years of sustained media relations and digital strategy for the Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE), two-time GRAMMY nominee, and former music director of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale. Press coverage in eight countries.
- **Michael Fabiano** — Instagram followers grew 166% organically during the engagement. The engagement period coincided with his Royal Opera House debut and his selection to open the San Francisco Opera season in Verdi's *Luisa Miller*.
- ***Living the Classical Life*** — Gold Sound Media developed the strategic framework behind the filmed interview series, brokered a global media partnership with the Mark Allen Group, and grew YouTube views by 1,100%. The series has since accumulated more than three million total views, featuring Joshua Bell, Yuja Wang, Deborah Voigt, and Daniil Trifonov.
- **Oregon Bach Festival** — Content-first marketing transformation delivering 21,500 attendees.
- **The Golandsky Institute at Princeton University** — Multi-year digital transformation strategy including the launch of a subscription-based streaming platform. In-person attendance at Princeton grew 34% over five years; coverage in *The New York Times*, *The Wall Street Journal*, and *The Philadelphia Inquirer*.
- **Soprano Larisa Martínez — Andrea Bocelli world tour** — Visibility campaign built around soprano Larisa Martínez's international touring as featured soloist with Andrea Bocelli, translating arena-scale performance moments into compounding digital presence.

Additional partnerships with artists and organizations of note, documented without a full standalone case study, include the Gilmore Piano Festival, the Chopin Foundation of the United States / National Chopin Piano Competition, conductor Robert Moody, and pianist Charlotte Hu.

## Jonathan Eifert — founder

**Jonathan Eifert** is the founder and Chief Brand Strategist of Gold Sound Media and the creator of *Classical Post*. Based in New York. Fifteen years in the classical music industry.

Jonathan has been profiled by *The New York Times*, which described him as owning "Gold Sound Media, a marketing company, and *Classical Post*, a publishing platform, both focusing on classical music." He is a classical pianist by training and began his career in artist management and publicity at Astral Artists (Philadelphia) and IMG Artists (London) before founding his own practice.

He serves on the board of the **Museum of Contemporary Art Connecticut (MoCA\CT)**, where he chairs the performing arts advisory committee — programming world-class classical and jazz concerts, including Jazz at Lincoln Center artists, and commissioning new works from composers including Timo Andres and Lowell Liebermann. He is a member of **The Recording Academy**. He holds a Master of Arts in Cultural Policy and Management from **City, University of London**, and a Bachelor of Music from **Cairn University**.

Jonathan is writing a book about visibility in the algorithmic age, using classical music as the lens.

Jonathan's personal brand and thought leadership: [jonathaneifert.com](https://jonathaneifert.com) — home of his writing, *Insights* articles, speaking and advisory work, and visibility frameworks for classical musicians and performing arts organizations.

## Classical Post

[*Classical Post*](https://classicalpost.com) is the media property from Gold Sound Media, founded by Jonathan Eifert in 2018. It features long-form interviews with leading classical musicians, conductors, and composers. More than 150 published episodes have reached over 250,000 people. Guests have included Hilary Hahn, Klaus Mäkelä, the Danish String Quartet, Anna Clyne, Wu Han, James Gaffigan, Nicholas McGegan, Steven Mackey, Volker Bertelmann, Time for Three, and Jessie Montgomery, among many others. *Classical Post* is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube, and doubles as the content laboratory where Gold Sound Media develops and refines its distribution methodology.

## Contact

- General and new business inquiries: [goldsoundmedia.com/contact](https://goldsoundmedia.com/contact)
- Press and general inquiries: elise.kolle@goldsoundmedia.com
- *Classical Post* editorial: podcast@classicalpost.com

## Related properties

- [Gold Sound Media](https://goldsoundmedia.com) — the brand strategy and marketing consultancy
- [Jonathan Eifert](https://jonathaneifert.com) — personal brand, thought leadership, and advisory work for classical musicians and performing arts organizations
- [*Classical Post*](https://classicalpost.com) — long-form interview media property featuring leading classical musicians

## Optional

- [About Gold Sound Media](https://goldsoundmedia.com/about) — company overview and founder story
- [Case Studies](https://goldsoundmedia.com/case-studies) — documented client results
- [Insights](https://goldsoundmedia.com/insights) — thought leadership on strategic positioning and video-first marketing for classical music
- [Jonathan Eifert Insights](https://jonathaneifert.com/insights) — Jonathan's first-person essays, frameworks, and observations