The American premiere of the musical work “Lost Objects” served as the centerpiece to Tuesday evening’s Next Wave Festival benefit for the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

The gala began with a cocktail party upstairs at BAM’s Lepercq Space, where the ceiling was strung with metal kitchen implements. The decorations were a nod to the new-music group Bang on a Can, whose founders Michael Gordon, David Lang, and Julia Wolfe composed the music for “Lost Objects” and have an ongoing relationship with BAM.

The party attracted the eclectic audience who is typically drawn to BAM’s roster of contemporary theater, film, and dance programs. A dance and drama critic from New Delhi’s Times of India, Sunil Kothari, chatted with Indian classical dancer Rajika Puri, who joked that she practically lives at BAM.

The president of the Prospect Park Alliance, Tupper Thomas, exclaimed that “Brooklyn is boomin! It’s between the river and the ocean, and BAM is right in the middle of it.”

That much is apparent, even to Manhattanites. Margaret Nolan, currently “a knickerbocker,” was born in Bushwick and came back to her home borough to support BAM. City-dweller Laura Gottlieb wore a sparkly Iisli cocktail dress that would be at home at a Meatpacking District dance club. The party was “worth the trek,” she said. Her friend Beth Manspeizer said she had seen every production in the Next Wave series so far this year.

The performance itself was a three-tiered affair, featuring a choral group, a rock band, and the German period-instrument group Concerto Koln. Each movement addressed an element of loss, with the finale a plaintive cry to Amelia Earhart. (Overheard: “I don’t think I quite understood it.”) Periodically, Paul Miller (aka DJ Spooky) rose from the orchestra pit swathed in a black costume to remix segments of the piece using a computer and mixing board. For the dinner following the performance, Mr. Miller had changed into a tight denim jacket and cargo pants.

The event took place right around the corner, on the 14th floor of the brand-new Atlantic Terminal Building. The expansive space has views of both downtown Brooklyn and Manhattan. Guests dined on beef tenderloin and butternut squash souffle. And when the president of BAM, Karen Brooks Hopkins, rose to thank the gala’s sponsors, wine donors Pine Ridge received the loudest cheer from the diners.

The evening was a success for more than just the contented theatergoers. The vice president of planning and development, Lynn Stirrup, said that BAM had raised more than $600,000, seated more than 500 people at the dinner, and met its fund-raising goal for the night. The chairman of board, Alan Fishman, also announced that Brooklyn developer David Walentas recently acquired the Salvation Army building next door and would loan some of the space to BAM.

Spotted were Isabella Rossellini, Danny Simmons, and actresses Lois Smith and Estelle Parsons.

BAM’s next gala is on March 15 and will feature Matt Bourne’s “Play Without Words.”

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Alvin Ailey’s annual opening-night gala drew a crowd of about 1,200 of the company’s supporters last night. They danced the night away in elaborate gowns befitting the festive atmosphere. Derek Jeter served as the event’s honorary chairman.