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

     (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-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 ."

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

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Sue Neilen
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