Symphony Space fosters artistically and culturally diverse performing arts, literary, and film programs that bring artists and audiences together in an atmosphere of exploration and intimacy. Reaching audiences throughout New York City, the wider metropolitan area, and – through distribution of programs via media such as radio, recordings, podcasts and touring – the nation, we:

• Present and produce a calendar of innovative, multidisciplinary arts events;
• Provide a first-rate affordable facility for artists and producers;
• Nurture relationships with established and emerging artists and other cultural organizations who will use Symphony Space as a venue for adventurous artistic growth;
• Take a position of leadership in curriculum-based arts education for children and adults.

Symphony Space’s two-fold operating philosophy is to create and present its own artistic offering and, at the same time, to support artists’ own endeavors and enrich our calendar by providing a subsidized rental facility.

Click on the photo above to see a retrospective video created for our recent 30th Anniversary.

Symphony Space builds each season around a diverse array of presentations, including:

• Wall to Wall - annual free music marathons, each celebrating an individual composer or musical genre
• Selected Shorts: A Celebration of the Short Story
• Repertory Film Series
• Bloomsday on Broadway - annual James Joyce tribute on June 16
• Just Kidding - weekend-morning multi-art series for children ages four and older
• Dance Series - featuring a broad selection of contemporary choreography
• Selected Shorts: All Write! - adult literacy outreach program
• Curriculum Arts Project arts education program, which integrates the arts into the social studies curriculum in New York City's public schools

Symphony Space programs reach the rest of the country through local and national public radio broadcasts of literary and musical events such asSelected Shorts andWall to Wall, and through the sale of CDs of the most requested stories from the Selected Shorts series.

In addition to Symphony Space's own annual calendar of performances, an average of 40 not-for-profit organizations present 125 performances at Symphony Space each year. Many of these events are made possible through Symphony Space'sPerformance Subsidy Program, which assists selected performance groups by providing subsidized rental rates and a host of marketing and production services. Groups appearing regularly through the program include:

• World Music Institute
• Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
• InterSchool Orchestras of New York
• American Composers Alliance
• Ballet for Young Audiences
• Making Books Sing
• Paper Bag Players

Approximately 150,000 people attend events at Symphony Space each year.