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QUEENS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA C-O QUEENS COLLEGE
FLUSHING, NY · EIN 112106191 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A690 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Small ($100K-$1M) · queenssymphony.org
revenue
$250K
expenses
$256K
net assets
$5K
employees
0
program ratio
85%
mission · from form 990

TO PROMOTE INTEREST IN MUSIC AND MUSICAL PRODUCTIONS AND TO STIMULATE PUBLIC INTEREST IN CLASSICAL MUSIC

profile · synthesized from sources

The Queens Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1953, is the only professional orchestra in Queens, New York, and the oldest and largest professional arts organization in the borough. It presents classical music through concerts, educational programs, and community outreach, with a mission to promote public interest in classical music and make it accessible to all. The orchestra performs free of charge across Queens, engaging diverse audiences through masterworks, family series, and outdoor summer concerts.

named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

An Instrument in Every Hand
Program that collects gently used musical instruments and distributes them to students in Queens public schools through a partnership with After School Rocks to increase access to music education.
Concerts on the Green
Free outdoor summer concerts held in parks across Queens, such as Astoria Park and Socrates Sculpture Park, featuring classical, Broadway, and American patriotic music in community settings.
Family Series
Free, 90-minute concerts at LeFrak Concert Hall on CUNY Queens College campus, designed as an introduction to classical music for children and families, featuring music from around the world and pre-concert talks.
Masterworks Concerts
Annual concert series featuring classical and operatic works by composers from around the world, including opera-in-concert performances and premieres, held at venues like Flushing Town Hall.
Symphony 101
Free educational lecture/demonstration series in partnership with Queens Library that explores orchestral instruments, composers, and conducting, including instrument-making workshops and improvisation sessions.
activities · 8 groups

What they do

  • Classical and Chamber Music Performances 2 activities
    • Present classical and orchestral concerts for Queens residents
      Presents at least 25 concerts annually, including Masterworks Concerts featuring works by American, European, Greek, and global composers, serving approximately 30,000 residents across Queens. Concerts include performances at Flushing Town Hall, LeFrak Concert Hall, and other recurring venues.
    • Provide pre-concert educational talks and audience engagement
      Offers pre-concert lectures and musician-led talks to educate patrons about the historical and interpretive context of musical pieces, enhancing audience understanding and engagement.
  • Commissioning New Musical Works 1 activity
    • Commission and premiere new musical works
      Commissions and performs world premieres of compositions by contemporary composers such as Morton Gould, Dorothy Chang, Huang Ruo, and Patrick Finley, often with the composer in attendance.
  • Community Music Performances & Education 1 activity
    • Deliver educational music programs to schools and youth
      Reaches over 17,000 school children annually through the Music BAG Program and provides educational programming in public schools to demonstrate career opportunities in music and the performing arts.
  • Music Education Support 1 activity
    • Distribute musical instruments to students in Queens
      Collects gently used musical instruments from donors and distributes them to students through the An Instrument in Every Hand program.
  • Free Outdoor Music Concerts 1 activity
    • Host free outdoor concerts in public parks across Queens
      Hosts annual free outdoor concerts at locations including Astoria Park, St. John’s University, Forest Park, St. Albans Park, and Socrates Sculpture Park, reaching audiences of 3,000–10,000 per concert and showcasing classical music in public spaces for over two decades.
  • Organizational DEI Capacity Building 1 activity
    • Implement DEIA strategic initiatives
      Implements a DEIA Strategic Plan to strengthen outreach and recruitment of staff, musicians, board members, and volunteers from underrepresented communities, expand access to training and leadership development, and increase audience diversity, satisfaction, and engagement.
  • Music Education and Training Programs 1 activity
    • Offer free public educational music series and workshops
      Operates Symphony 101, a free educational lecture and demonstration series in partnership with Queens Library, including instrument-making and improvisation workshops that engage participants in hands-on musical activities.
  • Professional Opera and Operetta Production 1 activity
    • Present opera-in-concert performances
      Regularly features opera-in-concert performances by composers such as Puccini in its Masterworks series and has presented rarely performed operas at Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall, featuring both renowned and emerging artists.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$250K
Contributions & grants$250K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$256K
Program expenses85%
Admin / overhead12%
Fundraising3%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$57K
Cash$43K
Investments$0
Liabilities$53K
Net assets$5K
Liquid reserves2.0 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -32.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 4
  • EDMOND COLLER — BOARD MEMBER
  • JOSEPH SCIAME — BOARD MEMBER
  • PAYSY FANG CHEN — BOARD MEMBER
  • ROSE HUANG — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 19

Who they work with

  • After School Rocks Partner — Partner organization that provides after-school music lessons to Queens public school students using instruments distributed through the An Instrument in Every Hand program.
  • American Symphony Orchestra League Network — Was affiliated with the American Symphony Orchestra League during its early years.
  • CUNY Queens College Partner — Hosts Family Series concerts at LeFrak Concert Hall on its campus.
  • Encompass New Opera Theatre Partner — Organization for which Deborah Surdi provided fundraising and administrative consulting services.
  • Flushing Town Hall Partner — Host venue for the Queens Symphony Orchestra's Masterworks Concerts.
  • Forest Hills Community Center Partner — Early partner organization with which QSO was affiliated at incorporation.
  • Jeffrey Biegel Partner — Collaborated with acclaimed pianist Jeffrey Biegel for the performance of Gershwin's _Rhapsody in Blue_.
  • Jeffrey Biegel Partner — Collaborated with acclaimed pianist Jeffrey Biegel in a performance of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.
  • Local 802 AFM Partner — Union representing the orchestra's musicians.
  • Martina Arroyo Foundation Partner — Organization for which Deborah Surdi provided fundraising and administrative consulting services.
  • New York City Council Members Partner — Co-presents the Queens Symphony Salon Concert Series with the Queens Symphony Orchestra.
  • Queens College Network — Host institution and organizational affiliate of the Queens Symphony Orchestra.
  • Queens College Network — Shares a formal affiliation as indicated by the organization's full name: QUEENS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA C-O QUEENS COLLEGE.
  • Queens Library Partner — Collaborates with the Queens Symphony Orchestra to host the Symphony 101 educational lecture series.
  • Queens Library Partner — Partner in launching and operating the Symphony 101 educational series.
  • St. John’s University Partner — Hosts Concerts on the Green at the Great Lawn on its campus.
  • Teatro Nuovo Partner — Organization for which Deborah Surdi provided fundraising and administrative consulting services.
  • The Opera Orchestra of New York Partner — Organization for which Deborah Surdi served as Executive Director, producing concert performances of rare operas.
  • community organizations Partner — Open to partnering with community organizations to support programming.
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Decentralized and Accessible Performance Models to Broaden Community Engagement
    methodology: community-access-through-venue-diversity
    By presenting free, family-friendly concerts in diverse public and informal venues across Queens, the orchestra increases access to classical music because removing financial, geographic, and cultural barriers enables broader participation and fosters inclusion among underserved audiences.
  • Interactive Music Education as a Bridge to Classical Appreciation
    methodology: interactive_music_education
    By using lecture-demonstrations and audience participation to explain orchestral music, the orchestra cultivates public understanding and lifelong appreciation because experiential learning and direct engagement make classical music accessible and personally meaningful, especially for new or young audiences.
  • Thematic and Cultural Fusion Programming to Reflect and Unite Diverse Communities
    methodology: cultural_fusion
    By centering concerts on American musical heritage and fusing world art forms with symphonic music, the orchestra increases public engagement and fosters community cohesion because culturally resonant and inclusive programming strengthens identification and belonging among Queens' diverse populations.