Brooklyn Academy of Music announced that Amy Cassello will serve as BAM’s interim artistic director. The appointment comes after David Binder concluded his artistic director tenure on July 2. Binder will remain at BAM as an artistic advisor throughout the remainder of the year.
"A highly-regarded fixture of the Brooklyn and downtown arts scene, Amy has played a key role in stewarding BAM's programming for many years. She is fiercely committed to protecting artistic expression and she shares my passion for creating a holistic vision for BAM that exemplifies our deep commitment to artists and Brooklyn. I could not have a better partner to lead BAM's artistic programming while we determine an equitable and dynamic structure for our multidisciplinary programming team," said BAM President Gina Duncan in a press release.
Cassello will oversee all programming and will guide the organization through processes such as selecting artists-in-residence, guest curators and partners that will expand BAM’s programmatic lens. This will apply across BAM’s programmatic spectrum including theater, dance, opera, music, film, archives and community offerings.
“BAM has always been a place for discovery – whether you’re a second grader walking into the ornate Howard Gilman Opera House for the first time, a seasoned audience member ready to be wowed by a Next Wave production, or a fan of experimental film — our ambition to present challenging, multi-genre, resonant work carries on,” said Cassello. “We will continue to add new artists and curators into the mix, expand our residency program for emerging artists and thought leaders, and refine mechanisms for meaningful engagement with our audiences and fellow cultural partners.”
The multi-voice curatorial model is evolving from of a series of recent successful collaborations, including Hanif Abdurraqib’s 2022 spring music series, Solange’s 2023 Eldorado Ballroom series and numerous significant visual art exhibitions and commissions conceived by Larry Ossei-Mensah from 2019-2022.
