Symphony Space Welcomes Kathy Landau as New Executive Director

Symphony Space has announced that Kathy Landau will join Symphony Space as Executive Director on September 6, 2016. She will assume this leadership role after six years at National Dance Institute (NDI) where she was Executive Director.

During her tenure, NDI experienced unprecedented growth and stability-programmatically and financially-including the realization of its first-ever permanent home. Prior to her role at NDI, Landau spent 20 years in the fashion industry, including 10 years with Diane Von Furstenberg where she repositioned the designer's brand and spearheaded its expansion. She then opened a private consulting and design firm, KL Concepts Inc., with clients such as Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, and QVC.

Known for her inspiring vision and strategic skills, Landau will lead Symphony Space in its continued expansion as a vibrant and vital institution, both in New York City and nationally. Andrew Byrne, Symphony Space's Artistic Director, welcomes Landau as a partner in institutional expansion and artistic planning. "I am thrilled to begin working with Kathy. Her experience is an incredible fit for where we are and where we are going as a cultural organization, and I look forward to having a long and fruitful working relationship with her," says Byrne. Chairman of the Board Steven Aresty adds, "Kathy joins Symphony Space armed with deep experience from her time at National Dance Institute as well as a leadership style and innovative approach that we anticipate will motivate staff, artists, donors, and audiences alike. Her unique background illustrates both her creativity and adaptability, traits that will make for a strong and inspiring Executive Director."

Landau had this to say about her upcoming role: "Symphony Space plays a dynamic part in the cultural landscape of New York City, bringing together artists of the highest caliber across disciplines for diverse and multi-generational audiences. Like the city itself, Symphony Space is evolving, and I am excited to be joining this extraordinary team at a pivotal time of possibility and growth."

For more than 38 years, Symphony Space has produced and presented artistically and culturally diverse music, literary, family, and film programs that bring artists and audiences together in an atmosphere of exploration and intimacy. Its signature events include Selected Shorts, performed live at Symphony Space and nationally broadcast on public radio; Bloomsday on Broadway; and Wall to Wall free music marathons.