named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Art Song Magazine
Online publication and podcast platform that disseminates art song scholarship, interviews, articles, and recordings by prominent artists and scholars.
Commissioning Program
Initiative to support the creation of new art songs by commissioning works from contemporary composers.
songSLAM
Competitive art song recital series launched in 2015, presented in multiple cities globally, featuring live and recorded performances by composer-performer teams who premiere new works and compete for audience-voted cash prizes.
sparks_LIVE
Live performance series presenting art song recitals and events in various cities, expanding the reach and relevance of the genre.
activities · 3 groups
What they do
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Classical and Chamber Music Performances 2 activities
- Collaborates on art song performance projects with external partnersDevelops and co-presents performance initiatives with organizations such as UIA Talent Agency, Fourth Coast Ensemble, Florida State University, Lone Star Song, and MetLiveArts to extend the reach and impact of art song programming.
- Hosts live and digital art song performances and festivalsOrganizes and presents art song recitals, festivals, and live events in New York City and across multiple cities nationally and internationally, including the sparksLIVE Song Festival, songSLAM competitions, and co-presented performances at venues such as National Sawdust and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Events include world premieres, dramatic works, and programming on socially relevant themes.
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Commissioning New Musical Works 2 activities
- Commissions and premieres new art song worksCommissions original art song compositions from contemporary creators, including underrepresented voices, and produces their world premiere performances. Notable commissions include Shawn Okpebholo’s Grammy-nominated song cycle "Songs in Flight" and works by Dina Pruzhansky and Joshua Bornfield.
- Curates and publishes new art song works through publishing partnersPartners with E.C. Schirmer and NewMusicShelf to publish and disseminate newly curated art song compositions, expanding access to contemporary repertoire.
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Literary and Cultural Publishing 1 activity
- Publishes Art Song Magazine and related digital contentProduces and maintains an open-access online magazine and podcast featuring articles, criticism, scholarly research, personal essays, interviews, and recordings focused on contemporary art song and underrepresented voices in classical music.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$124K
Contributions & grants$112K90%
Program service revenue$12K10%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$70K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$32K
Grants paid out$0
balance sheet
Total assets$67K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$67K
3 years on record · 2022–2024 · YoY revenue +21.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erika Switzer | Co-Director | 10 | $7 |
| Martha Guth | Co-Director | 10 | $7 |
board members · 6
- Anya Matonovich — Board Member
- Deborah Steinglass — Board Chair
- Karl Paulnack — Board Member
- Matthew Principe — Board Secretary
- Rachel Schutz — Board Member
- Wende Persons — Board Vice- Chair
relationships · 29
Who they work with
- Avaloch Farm Music Institute Partner — Partner organization acknowledged in the production of Meltdown
- Bard College Partner — Educational institution acknowledged as a collaborator in Meltdown
- Baryshnikov Arts Center Partner — Arts venue or collaborator acknowledged in the production of Meltdown
- Dr. Åsa Rennermalm Partner — Collaborator acknowledged in the production of Meltdown
- Duke Arts Partner — Presented "Songs in Flight" in Durham, North Carolina
- E.C. Schirmer Partner — Collaborates on the curation and publication of new art song works.
- Florida State University Partner — Collaborates through professors Natalie Sherer and Valerie Trujillo to present the songSLAM in Florida
- Fourth Coast Ensemble Partner — Co-presents the annual songSLAM Chicago event
- Iva Radivojević Partner — Collaborator acknowledged in the production of Meltdown
- Lone Star Song Partner — Co-presents the Central Texas songSLAM in Waco, Texas
- Metropolitan Museum of Art Partner — Partnered with MetLiveArts to present "Songs in Flight" at the museum
- National Sawdust Partner — Venue partner for the presentation of "Only Voice Remains"
- New Music USA Funder — Provides funding through the Organization Fund.
- New York State Council on the Arts Government — Provides support with funding from the Office of the Governor.
- NewMusicShelf Partner — Collaborates on the curation and publication of new art song works.
- Philadelphia Chamber Music Society Partner — Presented the Philadelphia premiere of "Songs in Flight"
- Regional partners Partner — Co-presented songSLAM events in multiple cities.
- Rena Sharon Partner — Pianist and professor whose use of the term "song circle" inspired the initiative's title.
- Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Partner — Co-presented a preview performance of "Songs in Flight" with panel discussion
- Silk Road Ensemble Partner — Provided cellist Karen Ouzounian for the performance
- Source Song Festival Partner — Co-presented the songSLAM in Minneapolis
- Sparks & Wiry Cries Network — ART SONG MAGAZINE INC is part of the Sparks & Wiry Cries organization, which also produces LIVE programming and thematic initiatives such as Meltdown.
- Sparks & Wiry Cries Partner — Co-organized the NYC 2026 songSLAM event and commission prize.
- Symphony Space Partner — Hosted the sparksLIVE 2026 festival at Symphony Space's Leonard Nimoy Thalia venue in New York City.
- The Performing Garage Partner — Venue or collaborator acknowledged in the production of Meltdown
- The Wooster Group Partner — Collaborating organization in the production of Meltdown
- UIA Talent Agency Partner — Represents art song performance projects developed by Sparks & Wiry Cries.
- Vital Opera Partner — Co-produced the one-act dramatic work "Meltdown" with Sparks & Wiry Cries.
- Wheaton College Partner — Hosted a performance of "Songs in Flight" on its campus
strategies · 5
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.
- Collegial, Process-Oriented Artistic Developmentmethodology: salon_cultureBy fostering safe, reflective spaces modeled on salon and sewing circle traditions, we support artistic growth and collaboration, because inclusive, low-pressure environments prioritize creative exploration over performance perfection, especially for underrepresented artists.
- Community-Centered Art Song Curationmethodology: community-centered_art_song_curationBy centering art song on the stories and lived experiences of diverse communities, we create deeper audience and artist engagement, because authentic connection to cultural narratives strengthens relevance and inclusion in classical music.
- Competitive Audience-Voted Model for New Art Song Creationmethodology: poetry-slam_modelBy using a poetry-slam-inspired, audience-voted competition format, we stimulate innovation and public engagement in art song, because participatory frameworks democratize artistic validation and incentivize contemporary composers and performers.
- Contextualized Publishing and Critical Scholarshipmethodology: contextualized_publishingBy publishing recordings, interviews, and scholarly articles that contextualize art song, we broaden public understanding and critical discourse, because accessible commentary and analysis make the genre more approachable and relevant to contemporary audiences.
- Hybrid and Virtual Engagement Modelmethodology: hybrid_performance_modelBy combining live and digital performances with open-access virtual platforms, we expand access to art song beyond traditional venues, because multimodal formats increase inclusivity and sustain community engagement across geographic and socioeconomic barriers.