Bio

David Binder is a producer, curator and storyteller. Throughout his career, David has presented superstars and emerging artists from around the world. He works with artists at the intersections of disciplines and cultures to produce and present work that often needs new language to describe its innovation. 

For the last five years David was the Artistic Director at BAM (the Brooklyn Academy of Music) where he presented ballets, performance, exhibitions, stand-up comedy, contemporary dance and plays. Highlights include presentations of the Jamie Lloyd company’s Cyrano starring James McAvoy; Ivo van Hove’s adaption of Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life; Eldorado Ballroom, a music series curated by Solange; The English National Ballet production of Akram Kahn’s Giselle; and hosting the world premiere of Madonna’s Madame X tour. Last spring, under David’s leadership, BAM produced Lorraine Hansberry’s The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window, starring Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan.  That BAM production became the organization’s first to move to Broadway in 38 years, where it was recognized by the Tony Awards. Presenting new and emerging artists was also central to David’s work in Brooklyn. During his tenure over 50 international companies made their debuts on BAM’s stages. 

On Broadway, David won the Tony Award (Best Revival) for Hedwig and the Angry Inch, starring Neil Patrick Harris, which he previously developed and originally produced Off Broadway. Other Broadway credits include the National Theatre production of Network starring Bryan Cranston, directed by Ivo van Hove; Burn This with Adam Driver and Keri Russell; the first Broadway revival of A Raisin in the Sun with Sean Combs and Audra McDonald; 33 Variations starring Jane Fonda; and Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men with James Franco and Chris O’Dowd. Other New York credits include the Argentine aerial spectacles De la Guarda and Fuerza Bruta. 

David works with brands to tell their stories through art and performance. By bringing adventurous artistic perspectives to companies like Condé Nast Traveler, Bon Appétit, New Woman and HP, he has helped uniquely illuminate their missions and values. His most notable collaboration in this space has been with IBM, celebrating their centennial. The one night gala he produced at Lincoln Center featured performances by Jessye Norman, Steve Martin, Patti LaBelle, Joshua Bell, Morgan Freeman and a cast of hundreds. 

Other festival experience includes producing the High Line Festival curated by David Bowie, which featured performances by Laurie Anderson, Arcade Fire, and in his American stand-up comedy debut, Ricky Gervais; producing the New Island Festival in New York’s Governors Island, a massive site-specific arts festival celebrating the 400th anniversary of the Dutch arriving to New York; and serving as the Guest Artistic Director of LIFT (the London International Festival of Theatre). That critically acclaimed edition included Taylor Mac’s A 24-Decade History of Popular Music: The First Act at the Barbican; Anna Deavere Smith at the Royal Court; the National Theatre of Korea’s The Trojan Women at the Queen Elizabeth Hall; and Duke Riley and his 1500 pigeons - each with their own LED light - in the skies of East Thamesmead. 

A graduate of UC Berkeley, David is also deeply committed to sharing his passion and expertise with future generations. He’s been a teaching fellow at Princeton, served on the faculty at the Yale School of Drama, and his TED talk, “The Arts Festival Revolution,” was chosen by The Guardian as one of the best talks about theater on the web. 

In addition to the Tony Award for Hedwig, David has received four Tony nominations, an Emmy nomination, and a Golden Globe nomination. He has been honored by Performance Space 122 and is the recipient of the Robert Whitehead Award for Outstanding Achievement in Commercial Theatrical Producing.