named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Community Concerts
Monthly concerts presented in partnership with Heights and Hills Senior Services at the Park Slope Center for Successful Aging.
Digital Concert Hall
Online platform offering access to recorded and streamed performances, expanding BASS's reach to national and global audiences.
Jay Bock Masterclass Series
Masterclass series held at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, featuring renowned artists providing instruction to young performers.
Young Artist Program
Training initiative for emerging vocalists and collaborative pianists, designed to develop the next generation of art song performers.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Digital Music and Performance Archiving 2 activities
- Operating a Digital Concert Hall for national and global accessReaches national and global audiences through its Digital Concert Hall, offering unlimited streaming access and on-demand recordings of all concerts in its seasonal programming.
- Providing free access and educational materials to concert contentOffers free admission to in-person concerts and provides subscribers with concert programs, notes, texts, translations, listening guides, and a free, searchable database of song-by-song analyses from all programs ever presented, covering hundreds of songs across the history of Western music.
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Commissioning New Musical Works 1 activity
- Commissioning new art songsCommissions new works from contemporary composers, having commissioned over 25 composers since 2010, making it the largest commissioner of new art song repertoire during that period.
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Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 1 activity
- Conducting artist residencies at academic institutionsConducts artist residencies at universities across the U.S., including Cornell University, University of Notre Dame, UC Davis, and the University of Chicago, integrating performance with academic engagement.
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Opera and Vocal Arts Training Programs 1 activity
- Developing early-career art song performers through a Young Artist ProgramLaunches a Young Artist Program in Fall 2026 to train emerging performers, building on its existing roster of over fifty artists specializing in art song interpretation.
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Classical and Chamber Music Performances 1 activity
- Producing art song concert performancesProduces concert performances primarily focused on art song repertoire, including comprehensive surveys of major composers such as Charles Ives and Hugo Wolf, with monthly concerts presented at Roulette in Downtown Brooklyn and additional performances in cities across the U.S. since 2010.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$199K
Contributions & grants$178K89%
Program service revenue$5000%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$21K
expenses
Total expenses$180K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
balance sheet
Total assets$24K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$24K
3 years on record · 2020–2023 · YoY revenue +20.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catherine Hancock | Digital Marketing Associate | 15 | $6K |
| Michael Brofman | Artistic Director | 35 | $5K |
board members · 8
- Donald Atkins — Board Member
- Ellen Brofman — Treasurer, Administrative Director
- Gerald van Koolbergen — Board member
- Michael Wetstone — Board Member
- Robin Dull — Board Member
- Sanford Leff — Board Member
- Spencer Myer — Board Member
- Stephen Parahus — Board Member
relationships · 13
Who they work with
- Brooklyn Conservatory of Music Partner — Hosts the Jay Bock Masterclass Series as part of BASS’s Young Artist Program.
- Cornell University Partner — Hosted BASS for artist residencies
- Cornell University Partner — Hosts BASS residencies
- Heights and Hills Senior Services Partner — Partners to bring monthly concerts to the Park Slope Center for Successful Aging.
- Juilliard School Partner — Collaborates with artists affiliated with Juilliard, including on artistic staff and as staff pianist.
- Metropolitan Opera Partner — Features artists who have performed at or are affiliated with the Metropolitan Opera, including as music staff and performers.
- Sparks & Wiry Cries Partner — Co-founded by collaborative pianist Erika Switzer, affiliated with Brooklyn Art Song Society artists.
- UC Davis Partner — Hosted BASS for artist residencies
- UC Davis Partner — Hosts BASS residencies
- University of Chicago Partner — Hosted BASS for artist residencies
- University of Chicago Partner — Hosts BASS residencies
- University of Notre Dame Partner — Hosted BASS for artist residencies
- University of Notre Dame Partner — Hosts BASS residencies
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.
- Artist Development Pipelinemethodology: artist-trainingBy training early-career singers and pianists through structured programs and masterclasses, we ensure the continuity of high-quality art song performance, because developing skilled interpreters is critical to preserving and advancing the genre.
- Commissioning as Repertoire Advancementmethodology: new-commissioning-modelBy commissioning new art songs from contemporary composers, we expand and renew the art song repertoire, ensuring the genre evolves and remains relevant, because sustained creation of new works is essential to the vitality of the tradition.
- Digital and Hybrid Access Expansionmethodology: hybrid_access_modelBy offering digital resources and hybrid in-person/digital concerts, we increase public access to art song for students, professionals, and enthusiasts, because removing geographic and logistical barriers deepens engagement and broadens the audience base.