Our Story

Mission & History

Since 2010, Brooklyn Art Song Society has presented programs of the highest artistic caliber, showcasing the vast repertoire of poetry set to music, in Brooklyn and across the United States.

Since 2010

16 Years of Art Song

Brooklyn Art Song Society enters its 16th season in Fall 2025, having earned a reputation as one of the preeminent organizations dedicated to the vast repertoire of poetry set to music.

Since 2010, BASS has presented thousands of songs from the complete classical canon, including comprehensive surveys of Charles Ives and Hugo Wolf, and has commissioned over 25 composers, operating as the single largest commissioner of new art song working today.

Beyond its monthly Brooklyn concerts, BASS has travelled to Philadelphia, Kansas City, Portland, Raleigh, San Francisco, and Seattle, with residencies at Cornell, Notre Dame, UC Davis, and the University of Chicago, and reaches audiences nationally through its Digital Concert Hall.

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BASS in performance
BASS pianist in performance

Our Mission

Poetry set to music

BASS believes that the aesthetic values of art song, its directness of expression, intimate setting, and emotional honesty, are essential artistic experiences that should be fostered and preserved for future generations.

BASS also believes art song should be enjoyed by the largest and most diverse audience possible, and is committed to truly affordable tickets and free-ticket initiatives for the under-served, ensuring access regardless of economic situation.