The Italian Academy Foundation, Inc. (IAF), established in 1947, is a non-for profit 501©(3), tax-exempt corporation that pursues a unique form of cultural diplomacy, presenting Italian realities to U.S. audiences. The Italian Academy Foundation, Inc. produces concerts, symposia and special events year round throughout the United States and Italy. IAF customarily works with select international charities to use our events for fundraising and awareness efforts. IAF underwrites these efforts with the generous assistance of its members and friends. Recent beneficiaries include The Salzburg Seminar (Austria), One Bright World (Liberia), The Europe Society (Brussels), the Women for Peace effort of the United Nations Delegates Women’s Committee, and The Nassau Physicians Foundation.

The Italian Academy Foundation maintains its Italian headquarters along with an office in Rome, Italy. The IAF hosts year-round internships in Rome, Italy through the IES program and via application process here.

What is cultural diplomacy ?

The Italian Academy Foundation, Inc. has adopted “cultural diplomacy” to describe its mission, referring to the staging of cultural events, art, musical and other programmes, together with the publication of materials, notably the Italian Journal,  that will present Italian realities –past and present–to US audiences. Our concerts and symposia, exhibitions and performances are designed to provide uplifting experiences in which Italianita is the essential subject. Italian Academy Foundation artists are articulate ambassadors; their art, a brilliant discourse that promotes mutuality and understanding.