The Roads of Friendship: concert for Lebanon

Thanks to the extraordinary hospitality of the Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, the “Roads of Friendship” event for 2007, “Concert for Lebanon”, was held in the Courtyard of Honour at the Quirinal Palace in Rome.
Lebanon was intended to be the destination once again that year for the eleventh trip. The plan was to give two concerts, one in Baalbeck, the other in Beiteddine (cities symbolic and representative of the different cultural and historic roots of the country), closing with a musical homage to Italy’s military contingent stationed in Naquoura.The dramatic escalation of events in the weeks leading up to the concert made the journey impossible. Hence the idea of organising the “Concert for Lebanon” in Italy, in a setting strongly symbolic of Italy’s commitment to that country: the Quirinal Palace, official residence of the Italian President, thanks to his great sensitivity. Thus, for an evening, the lights and sounds of the “Home of the Italians” were turned eastward, in close collaboration with the Lebanese authorities and diplomatic representatives, who had participated so enthusiastically in the organisation of the event. Riccardo Muti was once again an ambassador and a key figure, conducting the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra and Choir, together with soloists Olga Borodina, Alexia Voulgaridou, Mario Zeffiri and Ildar Abdrazakov, in Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem Mass. The concert also featured a special guest performance from Sœur Marie Keyrouz, a Lebanese artist whose sublime voice opened the evening.