Xenia Hanusiak

Xenia Hanusiak is an international festival director, cultural diplomacy leader and scholar whose lifelong dedication to the arts as a singer and writer embraces the many traditions of the lands where she lives, works and travels. Through festivals, forums and cultural initiatives, she brings artists, scholars and policymakers together to explore the narratives that shape our time. A hallmark of her work is the integration of First Nations leadership into international cultural dialogue, championing cultural diversity and elevating the social and environmental questions of our era. As a festival director, Xenia's interdisciplinary programs span literature, performing arts, and ideas. She is the founding artistic director of Songlines for a New World, a festival celebrating female virtuosity which debuted at New York's National Sawdust before its European tour. Other projects include A Thousand Doors, A Thousand Windows (Sydney, Venice, Boston, Florence, Singapore, Beijing) and The Garden of Joy and Sorrow for the Melbourne International Arts Festival. In 2022, she co-curated Currents of Change: Redefining Cultural Diplomacy for Salzburg Global's 75th anniversary. Throughout her career, Dr Hanusiak has held senior cultural and advisory roles with international governments and organisations including UNESCO and the United Nations. A sought-after speaker, she presents on cultural diplomacy, Indigenous collaboration, and performing arts at Culture Summit Abu Dhabi, UNESCO Heritage Authenticity Congress, Classical:NEXT Berlin, and UN International Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy. Her stage works include the decorated play Ward B, A Thousand Doors, A Thousand Windows (Venice Biennale, Singapore Arts Festival), and song cycle with Norwegian composer Stein Eide (Universal Editions). Her cultural writing is published globally in The Guardian, Financial Times, Corriere della Sera, and Musical America amongst others. Dr Hanusiak holds a Ph.D. in literature and a master's in music. She is a Churchill Fellow, a Visiting Scholar, Columbia University and a Cultural Fellow, University of Edinburgh.