Concert "Tribute to Peace"

“Tonight, we let music – not war – be the continuation of politics by other means. Through music, we can express emotions. And through music, we can find peace. In these troubled times, it is important to pay tribute to peace. This is what tonight’s concert is all about. I would like to warmly thank the Permanent Mission of Mexico for making it possible.

Through its unique convening power, music has brought together generations of peoples from around the world. The pieces that will be performed this evening have been composed by artists, who thought of bringing local heritage to the world’s stages of classical music, creating new, positive experiences. Cultural diversity has long been transformed into musical fireworks, showing us in the diplomatic community what is possible when difference is used as a source of creativity rather than of division.

Jorge Viladoms, whom we are welcoming back to the Palais des Nations following his concert here in 2012, is not only a pianist who has performed around the world. He is also sharing his passion for music with children who would not otherwise have the means to discover it. By doing so, these children are learning to speak the universal language of music, preparing them to join the global efforts of bringing people together for a more peaceful future by the United Nations and its partners.
Tonight, Mr. Viladoms will play together with Mr. Lionel Cottet. Mr. Cottet is intimately familiar with the responsibilities of representing one’s country abroad, having performed as part of the Swiss Ambassador’s Award Concert tour in 2011. As a true Genevois, Mr. Cottet will undoubtedly present us with a new and inspiring expression of the spirit of international Geneva, the city of peace. Joined by vocalists from the Conservatoire de Lausanne, the musicians presenting those evocative pieces from different countries this evening are set to engulf the halls of the Palais des Nations with tunes of diversity and peace.

The international community is facing unprecedented challenges and fragmentation. Tonight we let music take the place of politics and guide us on the path of unity. Thanks to the efforts of our Mexican friends, we have brought together incredibly talented musicians. This concert is bound to be a memorable and much needed ‘Tribute to Peace’ and I wish everyone a wonderful evening.”