The Berlin Academy of American Music was founded on the idea that performers and audience members could connect on a deeper level through music, at a time when the world had been cut off from connection. Against all odds, an orchestra was formed at the height of the pandemic, because Garrett Keast believed that music - perhaps more than anything - had the power to keep us connected.
The orchestra has come a long way since its creation in 2020, from its debut concerts in a 100-seat hall in 2021 to its invited performances at sold-out, internationally renowned venues of 2000+ seats, including Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie and the George Enescu Festival. Without support, however, these giant steps would not have been possible for a start-up-style orchestra founded during one of the world’s most challenging times in recent history.
American Supporters
American-based supporters can make tax-deductible donation via Friends of BAAM 501c3.
Donate Friends of BAAM (USA)
Friends of BAAM is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in New York City. To learn more, please click here or contact us directly.
European Supporters
German-based supporters can make a tax-deductible donation via IBAN transfer or PayPal.
Berlin Institute of American Music gUG
IBAN: DE11 1007 0124 0203 1367 00
BIC: DEUTDEDB101
DEUTSCHE BANK AG
Why is BAAM so important?
Genuine Connection is at the heart of BAAM’s work. We bring together composers, musicians, audiences, and cultures to foster deeper understanding through music.
BAAM presents works by past and living American composers, as well as composers who immigrated to the United States, introducing this repertoire to audiences in Europe and beyond. Our aim is to build a transatlantic community, broaden representation in classical music, and encourage dialogue around cultural exchange, diversity, and migration.
Music offers a powerful way to move beyond an “us versus them” perspective and to discover how difference can enrich our shared experience.
Many influential composers became American citizens, often shaping musical life on both sides of the Atlantic. Igor Stravinsky, for example, became a U.S. citizen in 1945 and spent more of his life in America than in either Russia or France. Other notable examples include Sergei Rachmaninoff, Arnold Schoenberg, Kurt Weill, Erich Korngold, Béla Bartók, Paul Hindemith, Franz Waxman, and Ursula Mamlok.
The world continues to innovate and change, and yet classical music is still largely defined by its old European roots and composers. While the great symphonies of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven have stood the test of time as important pillars of this genre, support for classical music will continue to decline if there isn’t change.
We provide Innovative Programming, expanding and redefining the classical canon, infusing concert programs and musical education with something relevant, exciting, and uniquely American. By performing fresh repertoire and bringing it to European audiences who have rarely had the opportunity to hear it, we have the ability to reinvigorate what it means to be a fan of classical music. This could be the difference between keeping this incredible, inspiring music in our concert halls – where people can feel the energy and resonance of the music – and having this kind of experience left only to recordings and playlists for those who happen upon its existence.
BAAM’s programming includes the works of classic American composers (e.g., Bernstein and Copland), historically underrepresented composers (e.g., Florence Price, George Walker), and contemporary composers (e.g., Anthony Davis, Philip Glass, Caroline Shaw), as well as works that have connections to American themes.
Through this repertoire, we bring to light the stories of real people, whose experiences carry important and relatable messages to us all. Through the themes that inspired their music, we are weaving a compelling tapestry that builds community and connection.