Interview: Symphony Space Executive Director Kathy Landau Prioritizes Accessibility in the Arts

Kathy Landau, the Executive Director of Symphony Space, has long been a champion of the arts, blending her deep passion for the industry with an impressive head for the business side.

Landau’s parents were cinematic luminaries, pioneering film producers Ely and Edie Landau, who cultivated a love for creative expression in their children, but didn’t not raise them to compete. Still, the siblings all found their way into the arts sector. Sister Tina Landau is the renowned director of this season’s Redwood and Floyd Collins; late brother Jon Landau produced Titanic and the Avatar series with James Cameron. However, rather than following a prescribed path, Kathy Landau embraced her own journey, guided by the family philosophy that “good things come to those who wander.”

At Symphony Space, Landau has fostered an ethos of accessibility and inclusion, ensuring that the organization remains a welcoming home for both artists and audiences. Under her leadership, the venue continues to honor its founding spirit, blending established and emerging voices while prioritizing financial sustainability.

She sees Symphony Space as a place of artistic freedom, a refuge for creativity in an era when the arts face mounting challenges. Whether through innovative programming, hybrid performances, or its commitment to keeping ticket prices reasonable, Landau’s vision is clear: Symphony Space is for everyone.

This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.

When I met you in person, I was so immediately disarmed with how friendly and accessible you are, as the president of a major arts organization. Is that the feeling you’re trying to create at Symphony Space, that everyone is welcome?
That is the north star for us as an organization, but it’s also our history. Symphony Space started in 1978, when Allan Miller and Isaiah Sheffer threw open the doors to a then-abandoned theater and welcomed in the community. When I first started, a little over eight years ago, I met Allan, who had not been involved in a long time, and the thing he said to me was “nurture the spirit.” I have taken that to heart. That is part of what makes Symphony Space unique, this warm embrace of our artists and audiences. Come as you are; all are welcome.

Does that motto affect the programming choices you make?
One hundred percent. Part of that spirit is bringing together established voices and emerging voices. The goal is to give artists the time, the space, and the stage, and to get out of their way. We live in a city at a time when the arts are powerful, important, and beleaguered. So, if we can be a place where artists and audiences can come together and create unexpected and magical moments, that’s how we’re going to curate. We’re going to endeavor to make this a place of creative freedom and collective experience.

You grew up in an arts-driven family. Was it a natural gravitational pull for you to go into this industry?
I’ve never been a person who operates by comparison. I just am not built the way of “My sister is this, my brother is that.” I think that’s a tribute to our parents who raised us as individuals and equals. Tina and Jon each knew from a very young age what they wanted to do. Tina was going to be in theater and Jon loved the movies. The philosophy we were raised with was “Good things come to those who wander.”

As cliché as it sounds, my mother [was my mentor]. Even though she didn’t know it, she was a pioneer. She was an early executive and the only woman in a boardroom surrounded by men when she and my father owned and ran a company. She sued the airlines because she showed up in Chicago in the 1950s for something called the “executive flight” coming back from Chicago and they wouldn’t let her on the plane because she was a woman. That’s part of Landau lore. But my parents led by example; I don’t think it was intentional, that’s just who they were. That gave us great freedom as children.

You’re a real supporter of the arts and you have the business mind, too. Why is that aspect important?
The greatest freedom any artist can have is a solid financial foundation. When I was interviewing for my first job in non-profits, they were like “You’re in the for-profit world. What could you know about the non-profit world?” And I was like, “There’s no difference.” There is this skepticism and a sense that we don’t talk about numbers; like, we’re all about the art and the cause and the mission. But none of those things work if the rest of it doesn’t work.

How has Symphony Space rebounded from the pandemic? Was it difficult to rebuild your audience?
I would say we’ve been incredibly lucky. We have a supportive board who doubled down and said, “We are here.” We have an even more robust staff now because it takes more people to do what we do. It costs more to do what we do. But the board believed there was a path forward. We’re lucky we own our own building, and we are not burdened by debt.

And our artists rallied. Within two weeks of shutting down [in March 2020], we transitioned to virtual and started installing live-stream equipment so we could go hybrid once we reopened. The pandemic forced, in a good way, a different type of thinking. It broadened the definition of accessibility for us. There are folks who are still not feeling comfortable coming back and may never come back, whether it’s because of age or health or other barriers.

So how do we continue to welcome those audience members? We know there’s nothing like being in the theater, but we are giving as good an experience in that live stream, in creating chatrooms, in allowing interactions, so that it represents the artistry on stage, but it’s also a meaningful experience for those who are remote.

Last season, we had in-person audience members and live-stream ticket buyers from all 50 states and 71 countries. They do come from all over, but the majority of audience members are from New York. Obviously, the first folks back were the microlocal. As we opened our doors, that community came, and the more people saw others coming, the more comfortable they felt with the experience. That’s how we rebuilt. We did exactly what we still do, which is making sure everyone felt safe and cared for and welcomed.

The location makes it easier in many ways, too. If you don’t want to take the subway, you can drive and get street parking.
That’s what I mean by being accessible. Even our price point. You can come hear Brooke Shields speak or you can come listen to an hour-and-a-half concert for $30. We are really committed amid the financial pressures to make sure we keep the barriers as low as possible.

What’s coming up that you’re most looking forward to?
On April 7, we’re doing a concert celebrating Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life. It’s going to be spectacular. If we at Symphony Space can be a source of joy, respite, and community, evenings like Songs in the Key of Life are that. For 90 minutes, come and sit shoulder to shoulder and let those house lights go down and the stage lights come on. This is one of those quintessential one-night-only and only at Symphony Space moments.