Arts Administrator and Impresario

An impresario with a worldwide reputation as an innovator in the arts, Mr. Lichtenstein guided BAM for 32 years, creating America’s leading contemporary performing arts institution. From 1971 to 1973, he served as the American Director of Italy’s Spoleto Festival and created the cutting edge Next Wave Festival at BAM in 1983. His extraordinary contribution to the arts has been recognized in awards, including the National Medal of Arts, awarded by President Bill Clinton; Sweden’s Order of the Polar Star' induction into the Chevalier French Legion of Honor; and the Handel Medallion, the City of New York's highest award for achievement in the arts.