irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2025
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $4KPerformance of A Field Guide to Imaginary Birds in Prospect Park Brooklyn: A free concert of seven musicians who performed composed bird songs in the woods inviting listeners to walk along a path and identify these imaginary birds. Designed to be family friendly and full of wonder the event brought together more than 150 people in the park on May 3 2025.
- #2 $12KPerformance at the Steinway Factory in Queens NY with participants invited to a private tour of the Steinway factory followed by a performance by Steinway Artist Spencer Meyer.
named programs · 8 · from sources
What they call their work
A Field Guide to Imaginary Birds
An outdoor, family-friendly immersive concert in which participants walk through a park to discover the songs of seven fictional birds composed by Brad Balliett.
American Counterpoints Recording Project
A recording initiative featuring works by underrepresented American composers, nominated for two 2025 Grammy Awards.
Arvo Pärt @ The Met
A collaborative concert with Artefact Ensemble and Met LiveArts, presenting Arvo Pärt’s music in the Temple of Dendur at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Dawson Celebration
A concert dedicated to William Levi Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony, aiming to revive and celebrate this historically overlooked work.
Immersive Concerts @ Lincoln Center
A series of party-concerts developed with Young Patrons of Lincoln Center, blending social events with orchestral performances in an informal setting.
Julia Perry Centenary Celebration & Festival
A multi-day festival in New York City celebrating the life and work of composer Julia Perry, featuring performances of her music and educational events.
Nutcracker Dance Along
An interactive performance of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker that invites participants to dance and engage physically with the music.
Rite of Spring Dance Party
An immersive concert experience where audiences are invited to dance to Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, redefining traditional concert etiquette.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Classical and Chamber Music Performances 2 activities
- Co-presenting collaborative concerts with arts organizationsPartners with other arts ensembles and institutions such as Artefact Ensemble, Met LiveArts, and Videmus to co-present concerts, including performances at the Temple of Dendur and multi-day festivals like the Julia Perry Centenary Celebration.
- Staging thematic concert programs around social and historical themesPresents concerts built around powerful themes such as war, identity, and cultural heritage, including Music in a Time of War and programs highlighting the Estonian Singing Revolution through Arvo Pärt’s works.
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Live Music Performances & Concerts 2 activities
- Performing and promoting underrepresented composersStages performances and festivals dedicated to the works of historically underrepresented composers, including Julia Perry (centenary celebration and premiere recordings), William Levi Dawson (Negro Folk Symphony), and Ethel Smyth, with a focus on expanding the orchestral repertoire through equity-centered programming.
- Presenting innovative concert formats with audience participationHosts interactive and experiential concerts that break traditional concert norms, including dance-along events for Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, reclining yoga-mat seating for Arvo Pärt’s Passio, and integrated seating arrangements placing audience and musicians together.
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Commissioning New Musical Works 1 activity
- Commissioning and integrating digital art with musicCommissions artists to create digital art that enhances and communicates the musical experience, integrating new media into performances to expand audience engagement.
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Site-Specific Artistic Installations and Performances 1 activity
- Producing immersive, site-specific orchestral concertsCreates and presents immersive, site-specific concerts designed to provide a visceral physical experience of sound, often in non-traditional venues such as parks, factories, and museums, with tailored acoustics and audience engagement. Examples include performances in Inwood Hill Park, Prospect Park, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and the Temple of Dendur.
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Nonprofit Music Recording and Distribution 1 activity
- Recording and releasing world-premiere classical albumsProduces and releases recordings of world-premiere performances, including Ethel Smyth’s The Prison (Grammy Award winner, 2021) and Julia Perry’s Violin Concerto (nominated for two 2025 Grammy Awards), contributing to the expansion of the recorded orchestral canon.
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financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$55K
Contributions & grants$52K95%
Program service revenue$3K5%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$98K
Program expenses81%
Admin / overhead19%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$84K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$22K
Cash$22K
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$22K
Liquid reserves2.7 mo
5 years on record · 2021–2025 · YoY revenue -76.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raphaele de Boisblanc | General Manager | 10 | $18K |
| James Blachly | Music Director | 25 | $15K |
board members · 10
- Alexander Goldmark — Board Member
- Benjamin Weber — Vice Chair
- Bridget Killackey — Board Member
- James Moskin — Treasurer
- Jeffrey Grip — Governance Chair
- Katie Rocker — Secretary
- Leila Amineddoleh — Board Chair
- Lonell Wright — Board Member
- Robert Kopf — Board Member
- William Finnegan — Board Member
relationships · 24
Who they work with
- Anna Clyne Partner — Features the music of Anna Clyne in a dedicated concert program, including the New York City premiere of her work Dance for Cello and Orchestra.
- Artefact Ensemble Partner — Co-presented a concert at the Temple of Dendur
- Artefact Ensemble Partner — Partnered to present a concert at the Temple of Dendur.
- Arvo Pärt Partner — Performs a concert of Arvo Pärt's choral and string works, continuing an ongoing artistic relationship with the composer.
- Brad Balliett Partner — Reprises a collaborative performance of Brad Balliett's immersive work A Field Guide to Imaginary Birds.
- Bright Shiny Things Partner — Label that released Experiential Orchestra's 2024 recording "American Counterpoints."
- Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine Partner — Hosted a performance of Pärt’s Passio with audience members reclining on yoga mats
- Cathedral of St. John the Divine Partner — Co-presented two performances of Arvo Pärt's "Passio" in New York City.
- Curtis Stewart Partner — Four-time Grammy nominee and co-creator of the album "American Counterpoints," contributing original music.
- James Blachly Partner — Grammy-winning conductor and co-creator of the album "American Counterpoints."
- Library of Congress Partner — Hosted a performance at the Coolidge Auditorium and provided a presenting fee to support the event.
- Lincoln Center Partner — Partners with young Patrons of Lincoln Center on programming initiatives.
- Lincoln Center Partner — Presented concerts with integrated audience-and-orchestra seating
- Met LiveArts Partner — Co-presented a concert at the Temple of Dendur
- Met LiveArts Partner — Partnered to present a concert at the Temple of Dendur.
- National Sawdust Partner — Co-hosted interactive dance-along performances of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker
- New Music USA Funder — Provides grant funding through the Organization Fund to support EXO's programming of contemporary American music.
- Steinway & Sons Partner — Hosted a performance and provided a private factory tour at the Steinway Factory in Queens, NY.
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art Partner — Hosted a performance of Arvo Pärt's music at the Temple of Dendur
- The Muse in Brooklyn Partner — Staged performances of Symphonie fantastique and Petrushka with circus choreography
- The Phillips Collection Partner — Presented a subscription concert in Washington, DC
- Videmus Partner — Co-presented the Julia Perry Centenary Celebration and Festival.
- Young Patrons of Lincoln Center Partner — Collaborated to create a series of party-concerts
- Young Patrons of Lincoln Center Partner — Collaborated to create a series of party-concerts.
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.
- Co-Creative and Contextualized Repertoire Curationmethodology: co-creative programmingBy collaboratively programming and juxtaposing underrepresented composers’ works with contemporary pieces, we reframe orchestral narratives and deepen audience understanding, because contextualization and shared authorship foster inclusion and educational impact.
- Expanded Artistic Expression Through Digital and Hybrid Mediamethodology: digital_art_integrationBy integrating digital art and hybrid social-musical formats, we extend the reach and relevance of orchestral music, because multi-modal storytelling meets new audiences where they are and amplifies music’s communicative power.
- Immersive and Participatory Concert Designmethodology: immersive_auditory_experienceBy using non-traditional, interactive, and site-specific formats — including participatory dance, hybrid social-musical events, and venue-tailored acoustics — we transform passive audiences into active participants, because visceral and physical engagement deepens connection to orchestral music and expands its accessibility.