Apollo's Fire Baroque
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 341696842
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2011–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
- Location
- Cleveland Heights, OH, USA
- Phone
- 2163200012
- Rating
- 86
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Music Groups, Bands, Ensembles
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $2,801,889
- Expenses
- $3,282,544
- Assets
- $2,501,248
- Liabilities
- $340,975
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
27 people listed
Highest reported compensation
- JEANNETTE SORRELL (EX OFFICIO): $104,474 total reported compensation
- CURT HANCOCK (GENERAL MANAGER): $93,000 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Performing on historical instruments, apollo's fire brings to life the music of the past for audiences of today, with passion. Period. Named for the ancient god of music, healing, and the sun, apollo's fire is a grammy-winning ensemble founded by harpsichordist and conductor jeannette sorrell. The organization provides professional performances of baroque and classical orchestral repertoire on period instruments for audiences in northeast Ohio, chicago (through its chicago series), and at the national and international levels.apollo's fire is dedicated to the performance of 17th- and 18th-century music on the period instruments for which it was written. The ensemble unites a select pool of early-music specialists from throughout north america and has received international recognition for its performances, recordings, tours, and broadcasts.through its education programs, apollo's fire provides instruction and exposure to early music for young people from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
What it reported doing in 2024
Grammy-winning baroque orchestra apollo's fire's 20242025 season marked its 33rd season under founding artistic director jeannette sorrell. The season comprised subscription concerts and special performances, with 49 concerts and community programs presented across multiple venues in northeast Ohio, serving more than 18,000 attendees.20242025 season programs included: bach's brandenburg concertos - october 2024 hope and solitude november 2024 wassail! December 2024 handel's messiah december 2024 virtuoso brilliance from vivaldi & telemann - february 2025 classical sparks - february & march 2025 bach's b minor mass april & may 2025 hispania! May 2025the performance of bach's b minor mass was part of bachanalia!, a 30-day celebration in which apollo's fire presented bach's music across northeast Ohio in restaurants, schools, churches, and concert halls.during fy25, apollo's fire released three commercial recordings: bach's coffeehouse, bach's harpsichord concertos, and le tre soprano. In spring 2025, apollo's fire received its second grammy nomination for its recording of handel's israel in egypt.north america touring and the chicago seriesover the years, apollo's fire has performed on major stages in the united states and europe. The ensemble continues to tour nationally and internationally. During fy25, apollo's fire continued its north american touring and chicago series, presenting performances in evanston and chicago, Illinois, as well as invited appearances at partner venues, including a return engagement of hispania! At the casals festival.apollo's fire continued its chicago series in fy25, performing four programs across eight concerts to significantly larger audiences in evanston and chicago, Illinois. Bach's brandenburg concertos - october 2024 handel's messiah december 2024 vivaldi in love - february 2025 bach's b minor mass april 2025education & outreachapollo's fire remains deeply committed to education and outreach through its community access initiative (cai), which complements its other engagement activities. The cai focuses on students, families, and individuals across all socioeconomic levels, bringing communities together for shared transformational experiences. Apollo's fire believes in the power of music to inspire, transform, and uplift, and strives to make these experiences accessible and affordable to all. In fy25, the organization delivered 22 in-school workshops at 14 schools across 7 public school districts in northeast Ohio, reaching 3,073 k8 students, and presented six free family concerts serving 1,231 attendees. Programs included interactive and hands-on workshops such as ballads & musical tall tales, bach & his amazing musical family, and mozart & bologne: the boy wonders, featuring young soloists to enhance relatability for students. To maintain accessibility, apollo's fire continued to offer deeply discounted $12 tickets, $10 student tickets, senior and young adult discounts, student rush tickets, free family nights, and baroque bistros in local restaurants. Support from grant-funded staff strengthened operational workflows, coordinated school and community partnerships, and enabled the development of state-standards-aligned educational materials, furthering accessibility through the young artist apprentice program, af's musette program (children's choir, ages 1117), and other cai initiatives, while the mosaic project continues to prioritize diversity and inclusion within the organization and its audience.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 81
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 24
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 93.5%; rating input score 93
- Program expense ratio: 78.6%; rating input score 79
- Fundraising efficiency: $6.48 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: Limited
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: Limited
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Other executive compensation review process: Pass
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -17.2%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.76; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 6%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 7.7% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 6.6% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 19.3% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 93.5% of revenue deployed · 78.6% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 25 of 25 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2.6M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $104K · 27 people listed
- Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
- Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
- Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
- People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 24/100.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 8/100.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 28/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 47/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 52/100.