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Symphony Space has launched the $45 million Building Together campaign to reimagine its theaters and public spaces, expand the range and reach of its programming, and strengthen its endowment. The campaign and renovation will allow the organization to fully realize its mission to connect art, ideas, and community, and to redouble its commitment to literacy and education through the arts. The Building Together campaign has already so far reached 82% of its goal.
“The arts have the power to forge a more connected, more compassionate world—and that belief drives everything we do at Symphony Space,” said Kathy Landau, Executive Director. “We are reshaping and reimagining our home in a way that aligns with our core values and underpins our commitment to being a vibrant, inclusive, and welcoming space—one that supports artists across disciplines and generations, opens our doors wider to communities across New York City and beyond, and invites everyone to participate. We believe in a future where access, opportunity, and art are truly for all. This renovation is the pathway to that future.”
The Building Together campaign is a powerful public-private partnership between the City of New York, New York State, and a strong collective of foundations and individual donors. The City has already committed $15.5 million to the renovation of the building, with support from champions including the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York City Council Majority Leader Shaun Abreu and Council Member Gale Brewer, and former Manhattan Borough President (now New York City Comptroller) Mark Levine. New York State, acknowledging the importance of the institution throughout the state, has committed $6.7 million thus far, with the New York State Council on the Arts led by Erika Mallin, the Regional Economic Development Councils, former State Senator (now Manhattan Borough President) Brad Hoylman-Sigal, and New York State Assembly Members Micah Lasher and Linda B. Rosenthal leading the way. These contributions are a testament to Symphony Space’s value, history, and cultural relevance to and within New York.
New York City Council Majority Leader Shaun Abreu said, “Symphony Space is one of New York City’s most treasured cultural institutions, and this renovation will ensure it continues to bring world-class programming and community connection to our neighborhood for generations to come. I was proud to support city funding for this project because places like Symphony Space are what make New York City’s cultural life so extraordinary. I can’t wait to see the doors reopen for the 50th Anniversary.”
New York City Council Member Gale Brewer remarked, “Symphony Space has long been an essential part of the Upper West Side and New York City, and generations of New Yorkers have come through its doors for performances, talks, and community programs. I was delighted to support funding for this renovation, which will make the space more welcoming, accessible, and sustainable while preserving the intimacy that makes it so special. Investments like this ensure our cultural institutions can continue to serve the community, support artists, and bring people together for many years to come.”
New York City Comptroller Mark Levine commented, “Symphony Space has held a special place in the hearts of New Yorkers for decades, and it was a no-brainer to extend my office’s support for this renovation in my former post as Manhattan Borough President. It is a testament to its value that this place survived even through years of economic downturn resulting in neglect and disrepair in the 1970s. I am proud to honor the care and commitment this community has poured into such a beloved place, and I look forward to many more years of enriching programming at Symphony Space.”
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal said, “Symphony Space is a cornerstone of Manhattan’s cultural life, and I was proud to secure half a million dollars in state funding for capital improvements during my time in the Senate to help sustain its future. Investments like this are critical to ensuring our arts institutions remain accessible, support working artists, and continue serving New Yorkers in every neighborhood. As Borough President, I look forward to building on that commitment and supporting the cultural organizations that make Manhattan so vibrant.”
New York State Assembly Member Micah Lasher shared, “I have so many memories of snowy weekends with my kids at Symphony Space, and I want future generations to get the same access to arts and culture right here in our neighborhood. That’s why I’m so pleased to be part of this exciting renovation.”
“Symphony Space has long been part of the constellation of the West Side’s premier cultural institutions,” said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Housing. “Growing up and living mere blocks from Symphony Space, I, like many West Siders and New Yorkers, have spent decades immersed in the hall’s myriad artistic and musical offerings. Given the space’s enduring popularity and its affordable programming, it is critical that they continue to grow, especially at a time when the federal government is attacking the arts. I am exceptionally proud to support Symphony Space’s much-needed renovation with state capital grants, and I am confident that this project will only deepen the neighborhood and New Yorkers’ ties to such an incredible artistic gem.”
Symphony Space’s New Home: A Blending of Building and Mission
Building Together will evolve Symphony Space’s theaters and public spaces to match its founding principle of seamlessly blending art and community. Currently, the vibrancy of all that happens inside Symphony Space is hidden behind architecture of a bygone era.
When completed, the transformed Symphony Space will be a modern, dynamic, and accessible venue for the presentation and development of art and arts education across disciplines. The renovated building and theaters will run on state-of-the-art equipment, elevating and enriching the experience for artists and audiences alike, and will include multiple flexible public spaces suited to performances, screenings, classes, readings, exhibitions, gatherings, and more.
Central to this revitalization is a bold campaign that invests not only in the physical space, but in the future of the organization itself. Dedicated funds for program innovation will provide critical support for artistic exploration and development; expand opportunities for artists and audiences to forge meaningful, lasting connections; and advance educational programs that harness the power of the arts to transform lives. Strengthening Symphony Space’s foundation, Building Together also includes a commitment to endowment growth.
The campaign offers a range of meaningful naming opportunities throughout the building and across its programs, inviting supporters to play a lasting and visible role in shaping Symphony Space’s next chapter.
The Building Together Artists Committee
Artists are the heart and soul of Symphony Space, and an extraordinary array of artists have joined the Building Together Artists Committee, co-chaired by BD Wong and Meg Wolitzer. Committee members include Danny Burstein, Carrie Coon, Jane Curtin, Hugh Dancy, Edie Falco, Roxane Gay, Paul Giamatti, Min Jin Lee, Patti LuPone, Ann Patchett, George Saunders, Liev Schreiber, Elizabeth Strout, Michael Urie, Colson Whitehead, and many more actors, musicians, authors, and artists.
“Symphony Space truly matters—to audiences, to artists, to the community. I’m honored to support this treasure of an institution as it transforms and grows, securing its legacy and looking ahead to an exciting, innovative, and essential future,” said Wolitzer.
“This renovation ensures that generations can continue to gather, be inspired, and create extraordinary things together. I’m thrilled to be on this journey with Symphony Space,” shared Wong.
The Pop-Up Year: Building Community Across New York City
The institution plans a momentous return to its home in 2028 for its 50th Anniversary.
During renovation, the organization is excited to launch a robust pop-up year in spaces across the five boroughs, complete with Symphony Space’s signature programs, creative partnerships with other arts organizations, programming in unconventional spaces, and workshopping of new projects and ideas. This pop-up year will reach and build relationships with new audiences while maintaining deep connections with the artists, audiences, students, and educators that make Symphony Space so special. When the organization returns to its newly renovated home, it will do so with a strengthened and even more expansive community.
The Design and Construction Team
“For the entire family of Symphony Space, this is a thrilling moment,” said David Dishy, Symphony Space Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer of LMXD. “To thrive as a joyful gathering place for experiencing exceptional artists and artistry over the decades ahead is the intended legacy of this campaign. As an institution, we believe that excellent and inspiring art should be at the soul of a healthy and vital community; and with this vision, we are ensuring that Symphony Space can remain a beacon of cultural vitality for New York and our enthusiastic audiences around the world.”
Symphony Space has assembled a highly accomplished design and construction team including Architecture Outfit, the NYC-based firm that has reimagined performing arts venues such as New York Theatre Workshop and Theatre Row, as well as numerous public spaces and learning centers; project manager and owner’s representative Denham Wolf Real Estate Services, whose extensive work in the cultural field includes Atlantic Theater Company and Nitehawk Cinema; leading construction management company Turner Construction, whose portfolio of cultural institutions includes Jazz at Lincoln Center, The New York Historical, and The New York Public Library; and theater consultants Theatre Projects, who have collaborated on more than 1,800 venues globally, such as Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and the Todd Haimes Theatre in New York.
Symphony Space is a multi-disciplinary performing arts center where adventurous programming, presented in a uniquely warm and welcoming environment, forges indelible relationships between artists and audiences.
Symphony Space’s building at the corner of Broadway and 95th Street has been through several iterations, having previously been an indoor food market, an ice skating rink, and even a boxing ring. It was an abandoned theater when conductor Allan Miller and playwright and director Isaiah Sheffer took it over for one day and threw open its doors on January 7, 1978, for a 12-hour free music marathon called Wall to Wall Bach. That event was so successful, drawing over 6,000 people, that it sparked an even bigger idea: a performing arts center with community as its North Star.
Symphony Space’s fundamental mission is to connect art, ideas, and community through their programs and their commitment to literacy and education through the arts. The organization is known for an array of ground-breaking programs, including the acclaimed Selected Shorts series with its nationally broadcast public radio show and podcast, the immersive Wall to Wall concerts, and their Artist in Residence Program, which has given artists including Béla Fleck, Rhiannon Giddens, and James McBride the time, space, and support to create new work and collaborate across disciplines.
Symphony Space was founded in the belief that the arts bring people together, transcend barriers, and celebrate both our similarities and differences. Through everything that they do, Symphony Space continues to invigorate these guiding principles, harnessing the power of the arts to engage, inspire, and build community.
