A senior delegation of UAE Ambassadors has been welcomed by the Juilliard School, a performing arts conservatory. The visit came ahead of the United Nations General Assembly and reflected a shared interest between the UAE and the Juilliard School in the power of the arts in the development of society.

During their visit, the ambassadors saw student performances and rehearsals, and reviewed manuscripts from the Juilliard Manuscript Collection, including the original score of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The visit also included a performance by Juilliard alumnus, Kinan Azmeh, an acclaimed clarinettist and composer.

Ambassador Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, the UAE's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, commended the efforts of the Juilliard School in promoting the diversity of its programmes and talented pool of students.

She said, "The Juilliard School has not only succeeded in encouraging the talent of young people, but is also actively promoting the ability of the performing arts to build bridges and foster understanding between people and cultures. The performing arts, both our traditional forms as well as from around the world, are important to the leadership and people of the UAE. We are now home to several institutions dedicated to fostering the arts among our communities. Cultural diplomacy is a valuable component of the UAE’s foreign policy. The UAE strongly supports this noble mission."

On meeting with the Emirati Ambassadors, Joseph Polisi, President of the Juilliard School, said, "At Juilliard, we believe that creativity is a key element of growth. The leadership of the UAE has taken a leading role in the Gulf region to establish new institutions that showcase cultural offerings where people can come together for shared personal experiences through art."

The ambassadors were welcomed to lunch by Polisi, who gave reflections on his experiences with cultural diplomacy as they related to Juilliard’s efforts to establish its first foreign branch campus in China and other globally facing initiatives.