Since 2010, Brooklyn Art Song Society has been dedicated to presenting programs of the highest artistic caliber, showcasing the vast repertoire of poetry set to music, in Brooklyn and across the United States. 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 that art song should be enjoyed by the largest and most diverse audience possible, and is committed to maintaining truly affordable ticket prices and free ticket initiatives for the under-served to ensure access regardless of economic situation. We strive not only to be a vital institution and resource for Brooklyn, but also to help raise Brooklyn’s stature as an international artistic capital.
During World War II a brownstone in Brooklyn Heights was converted into an artist commune that housed Benjamin Britten, Peter Pears, and W.H Auden. The mastermind behind the project was George Davis, close friend of Kurt Weill and second husband to Lotte Lenya.