Jean Michel Jarre Elected New President of CISAC

CISAC Elects Jean Michel Jarre as New President,
Expands Vice Presidency to Four Positions with
Javed Akhtar, Angélique Kidjo, Marcelo Piñeyro, and
Ousmane Sow

Appointments announced today by CISAC following conclusion of
2013 World Creators Summit

WASHINGTON, DC and PARIS, France (June 6, 2013) – In its annual meeting today, held in Washington DC, CISAC (the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers) has officially elected electronic music pioneer Jean Michel Jarre to serve as its new president. Jarre will succeed the late Robin Gibb, who passed away in May 2012, and Hervé Di Rosa, French visual artist and painter who served as CISAC’s acting president for the past year. The organization also expanded its Vice President role to four positions, enabling more territories and repertoire to be represented. These positions will go to Javed Akhtar, one of the most successful multi-platform creators from India; Angélique Kidjo, a Grammy Award-winning artist and activist from the West African nation of the Republic of Benin;Marcelo Piñeyro, an Academy Award-winning producer and director of Spanish-language films; and Ousmane Sow, a revered sculptor from the African city of Dakar in Senegal.

The appointments were announced today by the CISAC’s General Assembly following the organization’s fourth biennial World Creators Summit, the leading international and cross-industry forum addressing the future of copyright and creators’ interests.

The new President and Vice Presidents will act as the voice of the authors’ community worldwide, defending and championing the interests of CISAC, its 231 member societies and the 3 million creators it represents.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jean Michel Jarre and our new four Vice Presidents as we continue striving to create a world where creators can practice their art without fear of being short-changed,” said Kenth Muldin, Chairman of the CISAC Board of Directors. “As creators themselves, all five new appointees are well aware of the issues faced by the creative community, making them ideal candidates to carry on the legacy of our previous President Robin Gibb, who fought tirelessly for creators’ rights throughout his life. We look forward to working with them to continue the work of making his vision a reality.”

“When I first started making music, I never thought my path would lead me to become the head of an organization with such an important mission, and it is a true honor to accept the responsibility of the CISAC Presidency,” said Jarre. “Creators’ rights are up for debate all over the world, and it is our duty to ensure that they are able to maintain their control of and right to be compensated for their own art. I am excited to begin this journey with the rest of the CISAC Board, our new Vice Presidents, and all of our talented members.”

“Jean Michel Jarre is already demonstrating his strong leadership for the international community of creators, and I know he, Javed Akhtar, Angélique Kidjo, Marcelo Piñeyro, and Ousmane Sow will serve us all very well to ensure the voice of the artist is heard in the debate around the policies that most affect our lives. I look forward to working with them closely,” said Hervé Di Rosa. Di Rosa will now serve as the chair of CISAC’s International Council of Creators of Graphic, Plastic and Photographic Arts, CIAGP.

Jarre was one of the first electronic musicians, coming to international fame in 1977 with his smash #1 album Oxygene. The record has sold more than 18 million copies worldwide, and Jarre has gone on to sell over 80 million albums total, including subsequent hits Equinoxe, Magnetic Fields, Zoolook, and Rendezvous. He is also a true innovator in the live-performance space, bringing his music and vision outdoors to the masses. He was the first western musician invited to perform in Post-Mao China, and he has played at the Great Pyramids of Egypt, collaborated with NASA on a Houston City concert in memory of the Challenger space crew, performed for Pope John Paul II, played in front of France’s Eiffel Tower in celebration of the country World Cup victory, and more. Jarre recently embarked on his first-ever world tour, which will took him to more than 30 countries and feature over 220 performances.