A Time to Remember: EUROVISION and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Unite Europe in World War I Commemorations in Sarajevo

A Time to Remember: EUROVISION and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Unite Europe in World War I Commemorations in Sarajevo

GENEVA, June 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --



European leaders will come together in Sarajevo on 28 June to commemorate the outbreak
of World War I in a symbolic concert performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
[http://www.wienerphilharmoniker.at ] (VPO) and broadcast to audiences by public service
media (PSM).



(Photo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140619/693050-a )




(Photo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140619/693050-b )




(Photo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140619/693050-c )




The EUROVISION [http://www.eurovision.net ]-led coproduction is set to take place two
days after EU heads of State and government attend a special commemoration ceremony in
Ypres, Belgium, at the start of the June European Summit.



Austro-Hungarian heir Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated on Sunday, 28 June
1914 outside Sarajevo's national library - the setting for the concert. The incident set
off a chain of events that embroiled the world's major powers in a war of an unprecedented
scale leading to years of turmoil across Europe and beyond.



A century on, the concert casts a spotlight on the incredible transformation Europe
has undergone from a theatre of war to a continent, characterised by peace and
reconciliation.



The concert conducted by Franz Welser-Möst will feature music by composers from
Austria, Germany and France: Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert, Alban Berg, Johannes Brahms,
Maurice Ravel and Josef Strauss.



"We have created a musical programme with strong connections to the historical events
of 1914-1918, to invite the audience remember this era-defining conflict," said Clemens
Hellsberg, President of the VPO.



The EUROVISION-led production is the centrepiece to a series of themed projects
offered by PSM to mark the events of 1914-1918 and their continued relevance to
contemporary European society.



EBU Members BHRT (Bosnia & Herzegovina), France Télévisions and ZDF (Germany) will
coproduce live TV and radio coverage of the event, which will also be relayed to a large
public audience on big screens outside the venue.



"This flagship project is at the heart of our public service mission - a moment for
Europeans to pause and reflect on the ongoing relevance of the First World War," said EBU
Director General Ingrid Deltenre. "It is a poignant link between the past and more recent
turmoil in Europe."



ABOUT THE EBU



The EBU is the world's foremost alliance of public service media (PSM) with Members in
56 countries in Europe and beyond.



Its mission is to safeguard the role of PSM and to promote its indispensable
contribution to society. It is the point of reference for industry expertise and a centre
for European media knowledge and innovation.



The EBU operates EUROVISION and EURORADIO.



EUROVISION is the media industry's premier distributor and producer of top-quality
live news, sport, entertainment, culture and music content.



EURORADIO enhances public service radio through the exchange of music, professional
networking, and the promotion of digital and hybrid radio.



With its staff of 370, the organization extends from its headquarters in Geneva to
Brussels, Rome, Moscow, New York, Washington DC, Miami, Singapore, Beijing, and Sao Paolo.



http://www.ebu.ch and http://www.eurovision.com



Additional resources (pictures and press kits) can be downloaded from the EBU website:
http://www.eurovision.com/files/live/sites/ebu/files/Centenary%20Concert%20Press%20Kit.zip
[http://www.eurovision.com/files/live/sites/ebu/files/Centenary Concert Press Kit.zip ]



RELATED PROJECTS [http://www3.ebu.ch/calendar/world-war-1-centenary$ ]




Press contact:
Sue Neilen
neilen@ebu.ch
+41-79-376-49-20




Photo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140619/693050-a



http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140619/693050-b



http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140619/693050-c


Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140619/693050-a
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140619/693050-b
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140619/693050-c
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
EBU


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