irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $92KCommissioned new artistic works from composers, arrangers, choreographers, directors, and designers.
named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Alarm System
Initiative fostering cross-genre collaborations with innovative artists in electronica, multimedia, jazz, and film to expand the boundaries of contemporary classical music.
Land of Winter
Recording and performance of Donnacha Dennehy’s contemporary tone poem inspired by the interplay of light, time, and nature in Ireland, released on Nonesuch Records and winner of the 2026 Grammy for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance.
Mizzou International Composers Festival (MICF)
Annual festival where Alarm Will Sound serves as resident ensemble, supporting eight early-career composers each year through workshops, performances, and recordings in collaboration with guest composers.
What Belongs to You
World premiere opera by David T. Little based on Garth Greenwell’s novel, performed with tenor Karim Sulayman, exploring themes of desire and identity through intimate chamber orchestration.
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Artist Support Grants 1 activity
- Awarding seed grants for new artistic projectsFunds the development of new artistic projects through the Matt Marks Impact Fund, awarding up to $7,500 in seed money to support innovation in contemporary music.
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Commissioning New Musical Works 1 activity
- Commissioning and premiering new musical worksCommissions and performs world premieres of contemporary compositions, including works by emerging and established composers, with over 250 world premieres to date. Serves as resident ensemble at the Mizzou International Composers Festival, supporting eight world premieres annually.
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Performing Arts Archival Preservation 1 activity
- Operating a living digital archive of ensemble historyMaintains a comprehensive digital archive documenting 25 years of the ensemble’s artistic evolution, including performances, collaborations, recordings, and relationships, through an interactive timeline and historical photo gallery.
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Classical and Chamber Music Performances 1 activity
- Presenting contemporary music performances internationallyPerforms contemporary music repertoire at major venues and festivals worldwide, including Beethovenfest in Bonn, Germany, and the DiMenna Center for Classical Music in New York, with scheduled performances through 2026.
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Original Music-Theater and Opera Production 1 activity
- Producing and performing multimedia and music-theatre worksCreates and presents evening-length multimedia performances and music-theatre productions that integrate live music, vocal performance, archival video, and theatrical narrative, including docu-operas such as "The Hunger" and adaptations of literary works like "What Belongs to You."
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Nonprofit Music Recording and Distribution 1 activity
- Recording and releasing contemporary musicProduces and releases recordings of contemporary music, with over 20 recordings to date, including GRAMMY-winning and critically acclaimed albums such as "Land of Winter" and "For George Lewis | Autoshchediasms."
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$959K
Contributions & grants$549K57%
Program service revenue$407K42%
Investment income$2470%
Other revenue$2K
expenses
Total expenses$1.03M
Program expenses90%
Admin / overhead9%
Fundraising1%
Salaries & benefits$151K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$334K
Cash$68K
Investments$0
Liabilities$87K
Net assets$248K
Liquid reserves0.8 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +21.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| GAVIN CHUCK | Executive Dir. | 40 | $29K |
| ALAN PIERSON | ARTISTIC DIR. | 40 | $23K |
board members · 8
- DANIEL BALDINI — Treasurer
- DAVID LANG — Director
- JOHN PICKFORD RICHARDS — Secretary
- LIMOR TOMER — Director
- MARGARET MONASTRA — Director
- STEVE REICH — Director
- VAL SCHAFFNER — Director
- YOUSEF ALI — Director
relationships · 27
Who they work with
- Adam Abeshouse Partner — Worked with recording engineer Adam Abeshouse on the production of "Land of Winter," honoring his legacy in classical recording.
- Alan Lomax archives Partner — Source of archival recordings of traditional Irish folk ballads used in the docu-opera _The Hunger_.
- Beatles Partner — Artistic inspiration and subject of collaborative narrative in the project _1969_
- Beethovenfest Partner — Collaborates with Beethovenfest for performances in Bonn, Germany.
- Beethovenfest Partner — Performed the premiere of "Land of Winter" at Beethovenfest in Bonn in September 2022.
- Beethovenfest Bonn Partner — Collaborated with Beethovenfest Bonn to present a concert featuring the premiere of a commissioned work.
- Béatrice Steimer Partner — Collaborates with Alarm Will Sound by creating live video sculptures and drawings during the performance.
- David T. Little Partner — Composer who created the score for the music-theatre adaptation of "What Belongs to You."
- Donnacha Dennehy Partner — Collaborated with composer Donnacha Dennehy on the recording of "Land of Winter."
- Eastman School of Music Partner — Site of proto-AWS concerts in the late 1990s, marking the early development of the ensemble.
- Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation Funder — Provides funding support for Alarm Will Sound's performance of Georg Friedrich Haas' "in vain".
- Garth Greenwell Partner — Collaborates on the adaptation of his literary work "What Belongs to You" into music-theatre.
- John Lennon Partner — Featured artist whose words and music are incorporated into the performance
- Karlheinz Stockhausen Partner — Central figure in the narrative and conceptual framework of the project _1969_
- Leonard Bernstein Partner — Featured artist whose words and music are incorporated into the performance
- Liquid Music Partner — Partnered on the Sun Dogs Tour featuring collaborations with Arooj Aftab, Daniel Wohl, Devonté Hynes, and Rafiq Bhatia.
- Luciano Berio Partner — Featured artist whose work and ideas are represented in the performance
- Matthew Ryals Partner — Performs a solo modular synthesizer set as part of the concert program with Alarm Will Sound.
- Mizzou International Composers Festival Partner — Collaborates as distinguished guest composers and participants in the Mizzou International Composers Festival.
- Naxos Hallenkonzerte Partner — Co-presents Alarm Will Sound's performance of "Ten Thousand Birds" in Frankfurt.
- Nonesuch Records Partner — Released the recording of "Land of Winter" in collaboration with Alarm Will Sound.
- Opera Theatre of St. Louis Partner — Co-produced "The Hunger," the staged version of Donnacha Dennehy's work, presented at BAM Next Wave Festival.
- Paul McCartney Partner — Featured artist whose words and music are incorporated into the performance
- TIME:SPANS Partner — Collaborates with TIME:SPANS to present contemporary classical music performances.
- Tracy Mendez Partner — Development Manager serving as contact for donations.
- University of Missouri Partner — Hosts the Mizzou International Composers Festival where Alarm Will Sound is the resident ensemble.
- Yoko Ono Partner — Featured artist whose words and music are incorporated into the performance
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.
- Composer-Performer Integration Modelmethodology: composer-performer integrationBy embedding composer-performers within the ensemble, Alarm Will Sound deepens the interpretive connection between creation and performance of new music, resulting in more authentic and innovative artistic outcomes because the performers are co-creators in the compositional process.
- Cross-Genre and Interdisciplinary Innovationmethodology: cross-genre collaborationBy collaborating across genres and disciplines—including electronic music, AI systems, visual art, and historical theater—Alarm Will Sound redefines contemporary classical music because such integration fosters provocative, socially engaged performances that reflect the complexity of modern American culture.
- Historical-Contemporary Synthesis in Narrative Performancemethodology: historical_contemporary_synthesisBy integrating primary-source historical materials with contemporary composition and multimedia, Alarm Will Sound creates layered music-theatre works that connect past sociopolitical struggles with present-day issues, producing deeper audience engagement because the narratives resonate across time through artistic and documentary authenticity.
- Immersive, Site-Responsive Performance Practicemethodology: site-responsive performanceBy designing performances that respond to specific sites and incorporate natural soundscapes, regional elements, and live visual art, Alarm Will Sound dissolves boundaries between audience and environment because spatial and sensory immersion transforms passive listening into embodied experience.
- Process-Oriented Ensemble Developmentmethodology: process-oriented ensemble developmentBy prioritizing sustained artistic curiosity, collective decision-making, and long-term momentum over discrete achievements, Alarm Will Sound cultivates a resilient and adaptive ensemble culture because continuous growth fosters deeper collaboration and experimental risk-taking.