Artistic Director

Arts Admin Jobs; New York (NY); On-site; USD 250,000 - 285,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401k match

Paid time off

Volunteer benefits

Life insurance

Job summary

The Apollo Theater seeks an accomplished Artistic Director to lead its year-round artistic programming, shaping a six-venue programming ecosystem and establishing signature cultural experiences across live and digital platforms.

Reporting to the President & Chief Executive Officer, this role builds artist relationships, commissions new work, and partners with cross-functional teams to align artistic vision with institutional strategy.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive leadership in live events, entertainment, or performing arts.
• Hands-on experience curating complex programming across multiple venues.
• Strong relationships with artists, promoters, and institutions in New York City.
• Ability to balance creative ambition with financial stewardship.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and relationship-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Articulate the artistic vision for The Apollo and assemble a cohesive season.
• Produce signature cultural experiences and multidisciplinary programming.
• Lead learning and engagement programs for diverse audiences.
• Collaborate across departments to align programming with strategy and budgets.
• Oversee staffing, vendor contracts, and operational planning for six venues.

Skills

Leadership experience

Artist relations

Curatorial expertise

Program development

Stakeholder management

Budgeting & P&L

Education

Bachelor-level education (relevant)

Tools

None

Job description

Artistic Director
Position Profile

About the Opportunity

For more than ninety years, The Apollo has stood as a living symbol of Black excellence, artistic innovation, and cultural leadership. From legendary performances that reshaped American culture to new works that challenge, inspire, and unite, The Apollo has never been simply a theater; it has been a proving ground for brilliance, a gathering place for a Harlem and international community, and a home for Black artists.

As The Apollo completes The Apollo Rising 2.0 campaign, the organization prepares for a transformation. Upon reopening in early 2027 (after an extended 21-month renovation and reconstruction period), The Apollo will operate a full campus for the first time in its history, encompassing six distinct venues, including multiple performance spaces, new streaming capabilities, an expanded publicly accessible lobby, and a café. Once the historic theater reopens, The Apollo anticipates welcoming upwards of 25,000 visitors each week, whether attending events in the Historic Theater (capacity: 1,500), participating in programs within the two new black-box theaters at The Apollo Stages at The Victoria — Theater 1 (199-seat) and the Jonelle Procope Theater (99-seat) — or engaging with its public spaces. Further, The Apollo will stand as the artistic home this era demands—a place where historically marginalized voices don’t just survive, but flourish; where artists create work that bridges divisions; where the next generation discovers what’s possible when given a stage.

To meet this moment, The Apollo will hire a new Artistic Director. This leader will lead the curatorial process that fuels The Apollo’s year-round artistic programming. Reporting directly to the President & Chief Executive Officer and managing a team charged with curating a wide range of events, new work development and artist residencies, and The Apollo’s Learning and Engagement programs, this executive will shape the planning for all of The Apollo’s venues, communicate those plans and programs to all stakeholders, and oversee the planning and producing process. As a leader, this individual will have a firm commitment to partnership. They will be a welcoming host and partner to artists, a responsive and strategic collaborator to the board and leadership, and a thoughtful colleague to staff around the organization. Further, they will embrace stewarding The Apollo’s legacy and envisioning what The Apollo will continue to be, in terms of artistic exploration and presentation.

As part of this moment of transformation, the Artistic Director will work closely with the President & CEO and the Chief Growth Officer to align artistic programming with The Apollo’s broader institutional strategy. Together, this leadership model ensures that artistic vision, institutional strategy, and audience growth operate in alignment. The Apollo is also working with TOC Arts Partners to hire a new General Manager, Campus and Event Operations, who will be a key collaborator on Production, and which represents another important step in the organization’s evolution. These leaders will work closely with President & CEO Michelle Ebanks and complete the senior leadership team, elevating programming initiatives, establishing sound management practices, and contributing to the forward momentum currently underway for this iconic organization.

About The Apollo

Since 1934, The Apollo has celebrated, created, and presented work that centers Black artists and voices from across the African Diaspora. In December 2024, The Apollo Theater became the first organization honored by the Kennedy Center Awards, underscoring its enduring impact on American culture and the performing arts. Today, The Apollo is the nation’s largest performing arts institution dedicated to Black culture and creativity.

From the Historic Apollo Theater to the Apollo Stages at The Victoria, The Apollo produces and presents artists at every stage of their career, tells stories of communities too often overlooked, and celebrates Black excellence in all its forms. Encompassing Arts and Ideas, Music and Comedy, Theater and Dance, Film, and the legendary Amateur Night, The Apollo’s programming re-envisions the organization’s legacy in forward-looking and contemporary ways, creates forums for emerging artists and curators, supports mid-career and established artists, develops and presents new and cutting-edge multi-disciplinary work, uplifts culturally diverse artists and audiences, and creates an intimate and engaged experience for audiences.

The recent Apollo Rising 2.0 $100 million capital campaign affirms the organization’s commitment to honor what The Apollo has always been, while ensuring what it must become. At the heart of this campaign is the renovation and restoration of the Historic Theater. However, these investments do more than preserve a landmark and light a marquee; they position The Apollo to lead with purpose, relevance, and impact for the next ninety years and beyond.

Job Description

The Apollo seeks an accomplished and visionary executive to serve as Artistic Director, a critical member of the executive leadership team responsible for overseeing the institution’s artistic programming. This is a rare and important opportunity to shape the artistic future of one of the world’s most iconic cultural institutions. The Artistic Director will cultivate artist relationships, commission new work, and create signature cultural experiences uniquely possible at the Apollo.

Working across multiple stages and performance environments, the role will help build a programming ecosystem that supports artistic experimentation, talent discovery, and landmark cultural moments that make a season at The Apollo both a series of unmissable events and reflect cohesive and brand-forward curation. They will do this with a full embrace of the ways 21st century audiences engage with content, and extend the Apollo programming strategy to meet new and existing audiences beyond the physical stages and spaces. At The Apollo, Harlem’s living culture meets artists from Harlem and around the world who take creative risks and invite discovery—revealing new ways of seeing the world, each other, and ourselves. The Apollo stage has long been a place where artists test ideas, audiences respond with honesty, and culture evolves in real time.

The Artistic Director will help shape how the Apollo continues this tradition by supporting artists who lead cultural conversation and creating experiences uniquely possible on the Apollo stages. Working in partnership with the Chief Growth Officer, the Artistic Director will extend the impact of Apollo programming through partnerships, campus activation, and integrated storytelling. Together they will activate the Historic Theater and the Victoria Theaters through live experiences, digital platforms, and omnichannel engagement that connect artists, audiences, and communities locally and globally. The Apollo programming spans multiple platforms and artistic experiences and current key programming includes:

• Amateur Night at The Apollo
• Music Café and Comedy programming
• New Works and artist commissions
• Festivals and multidisciplinary performances
• Marquee cultural events unique to the Apollo stage

The Artistic Director will evolve these platforms, while developing new opportunities for artist collaboration and audience engagement. The successful candidate may have a background as a cultural producer, festival curator, or artistic director, senior producer in music, theater, comedy, or multidisciplinary performance, or cultural entrepreneur building platforms for artists and audiences. Regardless of background, they will understand the creative and business ecosystem that must be cultivated to embody the range of programming that The Apollo seeks to present. The ideal candidate will uphold the following key responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

Curation and Artistic Direction

• Articulate the artistic vision for The Apollo, assembling an overall season with a cohesive message each year, and identifying performers and other creative artists who take risks and shape culture to be included as prominent figures on The Apollo’s stages and within its community.
• Produce signature cultural experiences and multidisciplinary programming, which enlivens The Apollo campus and moves beyond Harlem, when opportunities arise.
• Oversee a multi-faceted learning and engagement program, which includes opportunities for K-12 students, young professionals, and the wider community to experience and appreciate the legacy and future of The Apollo.
• Hold a firm understanding of how audiences engage with cultural experiences across live and digital platforms, planning and shifting programming initiatives around that ongoing examination.
• Maintain a strong collaborative attitude and relationship-building ethos within a mission-driven cultural institution to successfully partner with The Apollo’s leadership team and staff across the organization.
• Cultivate a deep respect for Harlem’s cultural significance and work to sustain the Apollo’s role within that ecosystem.

Departmental Leadership

• Lead the development of a thriving, robust, and diverse programming schedule across six venues, which include the Historic Theater (capacity: 1,500) and the two new black-box theaters at The Apollo Stages at The Victoria — Theater 1 (199-seat) and the Jonelle Procope Theater (99-seat), inclusive of opportunities for further distribution via owned and partnership channels.
• Collaborate with senior programming and engagement staff to plan a wide range of events, build strong partnerships, and negotiate successful contractual terms with performing arts promoters, agents, artists, and other users of the facility.
• Collaborate with the General Manager, Campus and Event Operations to ensure programming costs are in line with budget projections; and then assess the P&L of all programming initiatives throughout the year.
• Communicate effectively with other staff members, board members, touring promoters/agents, local arts organizations, and other community members to ensure The Apollo’s programming goals are understood and initiatives are produced with the highest level of care.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with artists, staff, partner organizations and institutions, board members, and fellow leadership at The Apollo.
• Supervise and manage staff and resources in an effective and efficient manner.
• Oversee the implementation of programming team policies, including booking and scheduling procedures; vendor and contractor agreements; and staffing configuration around projects.

Strategic Organizational Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as a strategic advisor and operational partner to the President & Chief Executive Officer.
• Create a strong collaborative partnership with the General Manager, Director of Production, and other senior staff members.
• Collaborate closely with Development, Marketing, Finance, Advancement, and Partnerships teams.
• Contribute to organizational strategic planning and long-term growth initiatives.
• Represent The Apollo with clients, donors, community leaders, industry partners, government agencies, and other external stakeholders as needed.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in live events, entertainment, performing arts, producing, experiential performances, or related industries.
• Significant hands-on experience curating complex programming initiatives with a passion for all forms of performance, including but not limited to music, dance, theater, and the spoken word.
• Familiarity with the arts and entertainment venues and producers in New York City and other major markets.
• Relationships with performers, creators and their teams that allow the Apollo to navigate the entertainment and arts community nimbly and credibly.
• Demonstrated success managing large-scale operational teams and multiple venues.
• Ability to balance creative ambition with operational discipline and financial stewardship.
• Outstanding organizational leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Proven ability to lead through complexity, manage competing priorities, and drive organizational results.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to work various hours, including evening, weekends, and holidays.

Compensation

The salary for this position is $250,000-$285,000. The Apollo provides comprehensive benefits, including health, dental, vision, long and short-term disability, accident, critical illness, and company-paid life insurance. Employees have access to a 401k plan and match, employee assistance program, optional volunteer benefits, and generous paid time off.

The Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, pregnancy, disability, age, military or veteran status, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under federal, New York State, or New York City law.