We have a Chevaleresse in our midst!

The French Government bestowed upon longtime Coconut Grove resident Brigitte Kishlar, a Knighthood in the Order of Arts and Letters this past March. The award is given to individuals who have contributed significantly to the arts, literature or the advancement of those fields. Brigitte was presented the medal of Knighthood by her good friend and artist, Sam Choueka, at a party attended by her 93-year-old father and friends in Paris in March. That's Sam above with Brigitte. Members of the order include Leonardo DiCaprio, Rudolf Nureyev, George Balanchine, Philip Glass, George Clooney, Tim Burton, Ray Bradbury, Audrey Hepburn, Sean Connery, Bob Dylan, and T.S. Eliot. Chevaleresse is a female knight.

What's so great about this is that Brigitte is one of the most humble people you will ever meet. She's very soft spoken, a very hard worker and you can see her zooming up the street driving her golf cart almost daily!

Brigitte founded the Miami Conservatory of Music ten years ago, and the MCA academy in 2006 and has produced many musical and literary events including the Fete de la Musique in Coconut Grove, concerts with world-class musicians like Udi Bar David of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the La Plume Young Writers Contest.  The conservatory has also provided music scholarships for musically inclined children whose families have limited resources but wish to continue their training.

Brigitte comes from an artistic family, her uncle is the writer Henry Troyat elected member of the French Academy, her mother a noted concert pianist and her father created the first dance club and restaurant in St. Tropez in the 1950’s. She was named for Brigitte Bardot, who along with Charles Aznavour frequented the family’s home. 

 “I am truly honored to receive this award because it represents all the efforts and sacrifices of my parents, family, friends and my husband, James Kishlar, in supporting my musical dreams,” Kishlar said.  “The love of music and the arts gives us all a special sense of humanity and I am humbled by this honor.”