UNESCO Special Envoy for Cultural Diplomacy
Described by the architect Philip Johnson as “America’s Cultural Czarina in Europe”, Ms Judith Pisar was appointed as a UNESCO Special Envoy for Cultural Diplomacy in June 2017 in light of her commitment towards cultural diversity. Judith Pisar has devoted her career in building transatlantic cultural bridges, perceiving culture as a vehicule for peace and inclusion. As Chair of the American Center of Paris for 17 years, an avant-garde meeting place for French and American artists, she actively promoted international cultural exchanges.
In the United States, she served as Director of Music at the Brooklyn Academy, as Executive Director of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company and founded The Composer UNESCO. Speaks, a bureau helping some of the greatest composers of the 20th century such as Pierre Boulez or Luciano Berio to travel throughout the United States. As President of Arts France-USA, an association committed to cultural exchanges between the two countries, she regularly organized concerts and festivals of American music in Paris. In her capacity as a UNESCO Special Envoy for Cultural Diplomacy, Ms Judith Pisar supports UNESCO’s actions notably in the framework of the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures (2013-2022).
