Our Nonprofit Mission

The mission of Passim is to provide truly exceptional and interactive live musical experiences for both performers and audiences, to nurture artists at all stages of their career, and to build a vibrant music community.  We do so through our legendary listening venue, music school, artist grants and outreach programs.  As a nonprofit since 1994, Passim carries on the heritage of our predecessors—the historic Club 47 (1958-1968) and for-profit Passim (1969-1994).  We cultivate a diverse mix of musical traditions, where the emphasis is on the relationship between performers and audience and teachers and students.  Located in Harvard Square, Passim serves Cambridge and the broader region by featuring local, national and international artists.  Our ultimate goal is to help the performance arts flourish and thereby enrich the lives of members of our community.

We fulfill our mission through our varied programming:
 
Club Passim
For more than 50 years, Club Passim has been known as a premier listening room, presenting both new and established performers in a huge variety of genres ranging from folk to Celtic to jazz. The historic music venue presents more than 400 shows per year to an audience of over 30,000.
 
Passim School of Music
Established in 2000, the School offers a variety of classes and workshops for adults. The School serves over 800 students per year.
 
The Iguana Music Fund
Created in 2008, the Iguana Music Fund provides grants to musicians for career development and community service projects.
 
BCMFest
Through a monthly “Celtic Music Monday” series and an annual weekend-long festival in January, Boston’s Celtic Music Festival showcases Greater Boston’s best performers of music, song and dance from the Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton, and other Celtic and Celtic-inspired traditions.