2006 Speeches

Remarks at Concert by American Pianist Nina Drath

June 14, 2006

Mary and I are delighted to welcome you to the Residence this evening and have the opportunity to let you know how much we value your friendship.

Tonight’s theme isn’t politics and business; our aim tonight is to celebrate Lebanese-American cultural exchange and to reaffirm the friendship between the Lebanese and American people.

Last night I opened an exhibit of prints by New Jersey artists at the Association de Developpment de Gemmayze. This exhibit is just one of a number of cultural events—to include our pianist this evening, Nina Drath— the U.S. Embassy is sponsoring this month. With these activities, we want the Lebanese people to know that the U.S. Embassy is back on Beirut’s cultural scene; and that the firm, enduring and non-negotiable commitment of the United States to Lebanon includes cultural and educational exchange.

Tonight, we have gathered a very special and elite audience. But the aim of most of our education and cultural programs is to provide young Lebanese who have not had access to American education and culture, with the opportunity to learn more about our cultural diversity.

During the past three years, the U.S. Embassy has introduced improvisational jazz, modern dance, independent filmmakers, classical piano and gospel singing to new youth audiences. On Friday night, when Ms. Drath performs with the Lebanese National Symphony Orchestra at l'Eglise Saint Joseph des Pères Jésuites, 60 of our English language scholarship students from public schools will be in the audience for the first live music concert of their lives.

Tonight’s concert offers an opportunity to celebrate a cultural relationship the U.S. Embassy values greatly with the Lebanese National Symphony Orchestra and the National Conservatory of Music. I’d like to particularly welcome both Dr. Walid Gholmieh and conductor Wojciech Czepiel tonight and thank them for their support of Lebanese-American musical exchange.

Over the years, we’ve had a number of opportunities for Lebanese and American musicians to perform together in concerts and workshops. This month we have two American musicians working with students at the Conservatoire: In addition to Ms. Drath’s master classes, American composer and jazz virtuoso Katherine Cartwright will spend the month at the Conservatory as a Fulbright Senior Specialist, where she will give workshops as well as performing elsewhere.

Let me now introduce Ms. Nina Drath. Ms. Drath has selected a delightful program of Chopin for us to enjoy this evening. And to underscore the diversity of music in America, she will open her program with a composition by a Texan composer, Peter Petroff.