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THE VIOLIN SOCIETY OF AMERICA
ALBANY, NY · EIN 237354645 · Form 990 · FY2024 · Small ($100K-$1M) · vsaweb.org
revenue
$674K
expenses
$576K
net assets
$1.2M
employees
0
volunteers
16
program ratio
77%
mission · from form 990

THE VIOLIN SOCIETY OF AMERICA WAS CREATED FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROMOTING THE ART AND SCIENCE OF MAKING, REPAIRING AND PRESERVING STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND THEIR BOWS.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Violin Society of America promotes the art and science of making, repairing, and preserving stringed musical instruments and their bows. It supports this mission through educational programs, scholarly publications, international competitions for violin makers, and research initiatives. The organization is headquartered in Pennsylvania and serves a global community of luthiers, musicians, and instrument enthusiasts.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $62K
    The VSA provides scholarships for Lutherie students at recognized schools in the United States. Scholarship recipients are selected by the VSA Scholarship Committee.
  2. #2 $20K
    The VSA publishes the Violin Society of America Papers, a journal that includes peer-reviewed, scholarly papers on violin connoisseurship, history, and making.
named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

CAS Forum
Special interest group focused on acoustics, materials, and construction practices in stringed instruments, resulting from the merger of the Catgut Acoustical Society and VSA.
International Makers' Competitions
Holds biennial violin-making competitions that bring together international luthiers to showcase craftsmanship and promote excellence in instrument making.
VSA Scholarship Program
Provides scholarships to lutherie students at recognized schools in the United States; recipients are selected by the VSA Scholarship Committee.
Violin Society of America Papers
Peer-reviewed scholarly journal publishing research on violin connoisseurship, history, acoustics, materials, and construction practices.
activities · 7 groups

What they do

  • Arts Education Scholarships 1 activity
    • Award scholarships to lutherie students
      Provides financial support to students studying violin and bow making or restoration at recognized schools in North America, awarding over $30,000 annually through the VSA Scholarship Fund. Scholarships are funded by exhibition fees and donor contributions.
  • Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
    • Curate instrument exhibitions at conventions
      Organizes and curates the Rare Instrument Exhibition and the New Instrument Exhibit at annual conventions, enabling attendees to view, play, and purchase historically significant and newly crafted violins, violas, cellos, and bows from emerging and established makers.
  • Musicological Research and Scholarly Editions 1 activity
    • Deliver educational programming on violin acoustics and craftsmanship
      Hosts monthly Zoom presentations and in-person events focused on acoustical topics, instrument making, and preservation, featuring researchers, makers, and experts. Also supports educational resources and curriculum development in collaboration with violin making schools.
  • Professional Conference & Symposium Organization 1 activity
    • Host annual conventions for violin makers and enthusiasts
      Organizes a three-day annual convention that brings together over 500 professionals and enthusiasts, featuring expert presentations, rare and new instrument exhibits, sound testing sessions with professional musicians, auctions, and challenges such as the “Tomato Can Fiddle Challenge.” The event advances the art and science of stringed instrument and bow making, preservation, and restoration.
  • Specialized Research Library Access 1 activity
    • Maintain archival and library resources for violin scholarship
      Operates The VSA Library at Oberlin Conservatory to preserve and provide access to archival materials documenting advancements in violin making, including historical treatises, instrument inventories, and research collections.
  • Endowment and Gift Fund Management 1 activity
    • Support sustainability and strategic initiatives through endowments
      Maintains four endowments to ensure long-term financial sustainability and fund strategic initiatives, including regulatory advocacy and environmental integration in lutherie education.
  • Uncategorized 4 activities
    • Conduct acoustical testing and sound comparison sessions
      Hosts sound testing sessions at conventions where over 50 new violins, violas, cellos, and bows are played and acoustically evaluated by professional musicians, such as members of the Minnesota Orchestra, to compare tonal quality and performance characteristics.
    • Fund research in violin acoustics, history, and craftsmanship
      Provides grants and funding for research projects related to the acoustics, conservation, restoration, materials, and historical practices of violin family instruments. This includes supporting scholarly inquiry and innovation in lutherie.
    • Host international competitions for instrument and bow makers
      Organizes a biennial international competition for violin family instruments and bows, attracting up to 400 entries and judged by 25 renowned experts. The competition includes developing official rules and hosting a week-long event as part of the annual convention.
    • Publish peer-reviewed research and scholarly materials
      Produces and distributes peer-reviewed publications including The VSA Papers and The Scroll, covering topics such as instrument making, restoration, acoustics, and history. Also publishes books documenting major exhibitions, such as The British Bow, The German Bow, and The Bromberg Collection of American Violins.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$674K
Contributions & grants$8K1%
Program service revenue$630K94%
Investment income$25K4%
Other revenue$11K
expenses
Total expenses$576K
Program expenses77%
Admin / overhead23%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$62K
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$1.50M
Cash$460K
Investments$1.02M
Liabilities$263K
Net assets$1.23M
Liquid reserves30.9 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +172.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 16
  • ANYA BURGESS — Director
  • BILL SCOTT — Director
  • BRANDON GODMAN — Director
  • CHARLES F TUCKER IV — Secretary
  • CHRIS CLARK — Treasurer
  • CHRIS ULBRICHT — 1ST VP
  • COLIN MAKI — President
  • FAN TAO — Director
  • ITZEL AVILA — Director
  • JENNIFER CREADICK — Director
  • JOE JOYNER — Director
  • JULIAN COSSMANN COOKE — PAST PRESIDENT
  • JULIUS VANDEKOPLLE — Director
  • KATHY REILLY — Director
  • PETIO KOSTOV — Director
  • laura barcelo — Director
relationships · 13

Who they work with

  • Alliance-International Partner — Collaborates with the VSA on sustainable wood initiatives.
  • Bein & Fushi Partner — Sponsors the New Instrument Exhibit at the VSA convention.
  • Board of Directors Network — 16-member governing body responsible for setting organizational priorities and policies.
  • Catgut Acoustical Society Network — Merged with the VSA in 2004 to form the CAS Forum, which brings together acousticians and violin makers to advance musical acoustics research.
  • Claire Givens Violins Partner — Sponsors the Women's Luncheon at the VSA convention.
  • David Bromberg Partner — Collaborated with The Violin Society of America on the publication of The Bromberg Collection of American Violins.
  • FDIC-insured banking partners Government — Uses FDIC-insured banks to safeguard cash deposits.
  • Hotel Cleveland, Autograph Collection Partner — Host venue for the 2026 VSA Convention and International Competition.
  • MemberClicks Network — Uses MemberClicks platform for membership management and website hosting.
  • Minnesota Orchestra Partner — Provides professional musicians to perform and test instruments during the New Instrument Exhibit sound testing session.
  • Oberlin Acoustics Workshop Partner — Co-presents the First Fridays virtual meeting series on acoustics.
  • Oberlin College and Conservatory Partner — Collaborates with The Violin Society of America on the Acoustics Workshop and First Fridays seminar series.
  • Oberlin Conservatory Partner — Hosts The VSA Library, providing access to resources documenting the advancement of violin making.
strategies · 4

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.

  • Equitable Access to Excellence in Craft Through Competition Design
    methodology: equitable_access_competition_model
    By eliminating gold-mounted bows and using silver-only mountings in competitions, the VSA reduces financial barriers and ethical concerns, focusing evaluation on craftsmanship and playability rather than material cost, because this promotes fairness, inclusivity, and integrity in assessing lutherie skill.
  • Integration of Art and Science to Advance Craftsmanship
    methodology: art-and-science_integration
    By integrating artistic practice with scientific research—particularly in acoustics and materials—the VSA improves the making, repair, and preservation of bowed string instruments, because combining empirical understanding with craftsmanship leads to higher-quality, more playable instruments.
  • Knowledge Exchange Through Community and Volunteer Expertise
    methodology: community-based_knowledge_exchange
    By leveraging volunteerism from expert members—including makers, restorers, and dealers—and structuring pathways from service to leadership, the VSA strengthens field-wide knowledge dissemination and institutional continuity, because peer-driven engagement fosters trust, shared standards, and sustained professional development.
  • Research Dissemination and Education as Field Development Tools
    methodology: research-practice_integration
    By publishing peer-reviewed research and funding student training in lutherie, the VSA advances the collective knowledge and future capacity of the field, because open access to scientific and technical scholarship ensures innovation and high standards are shared widely and sustainably.