Rocco Landesman Net Worth, Income, Salary, Earnings, Biography

Rocco Landesman (born July 20, 1947) has worked as a Broadway theatrical producer for many years. From August 2009 until December 2012, he was chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (“NEA”). The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is a federal government organisation with a budget of $155 million for grants to promote excellence in the arts, bring arts to all Americans, and offer leadership in arts education. While he was serving in Washington, he was a passive owner of Jujamcyn Theaters. Landesman was born and reared in St. Louis, Missouri, and attended Colby College in Waterville, Maine, and the University of Wisconsin before graduating from Yale School of Drama with a PhD in dramatic literature. He would become Robert Brustein’s protégé and buddy at Yale School of Drama.

 He remained at Yale as an Assistant Professor for four years after finishing his course work. Landesman met writer Jerzy Kosinski at Yale and collaborated with him on two of his books, Being There and The Devil Tree. Landesman worked as an editor, assisting Kosinski, who was not a natural English speaker, with his English grammar and writing. Landesman was also managing a private mutual fund and a racehorse he had purchased while at Yale.

 He departed in 1977 to devote more attention to his private investment fund, which he had been running for many years. He also became engaged in Broadway theatre, where he was a key figure in the creation and production of “Big River,” a musical based on Huckleberry Finn that won the 1985 Tony Award for Best Musical. Landesman was instrumental in convincing Roger Miller to compose the show’s music. Over the course of two and a half years on Broadway, the musical earned seven Tony Awards and played over 1,000 times.

Rocco Landesman FAQ