United Nations to Mark Seventieth Anniversary with Special Concert of Korean Music, Western Classical Scores, Gospel, Special Guest Artists

To mark the seventieth anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, a unique commemorative concert will be held on Friday, 23 October, at 6:30 p.m. in the United Nations General Assembly Hall.

Organized by the United Nations Department of Public Information in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of the Republic of South Korea to the United Nations and the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), the concert will feature the KBS Traditional Music Orchestra and special guests.

Performing with the orchestra will be United Nations Messenger of Peace, pianist Lang Lang, K-pop duo Davichi, and the Harlem Gospel Choir.  Accompanying the orchestra will be Kim Hae-sook, renowned master of the 12-string gayageum and Director-General of the National Gugak Center for the preservation and teaching of traditional Korean music.

Under the direction of conductor Lee Jun-ho, the performers will fill the General Assembly Hall with a fusion of Korean folk melodies, contemporary Korean popular music, Western classical scores and gospel music.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will address the Hall, following welcoming remarks by Cristina Gallach, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information.  General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft and the Executive Vice-President of the Korean Broadcasting Corporation, Keum Dong-soo will also speak.

In his message for this special United Nations Day, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that, “The United Nations works for the entire human family of seven billion people, and cares for the earth, our one and only home.”  He added, “As we shine a light on this milestone anniversary, let us reaffirm our commitment to a better and brighter future for all.”

As a backdrop to the event, the United Nations General Assembly Hall and Secretariat Building will be awash in blue, as part of the “Turn the World UN Blue” campaign.  More than 220 iconic buildings and monuments across the globe will participate in the campaign, organized to unite global citizens and promote the message of peace, development and human rights.

United Nations Day, marked annually on 24 October, is dedicated to the global efforts and achievements of the Organization since its founding on this date in 1945.

The United Nations Day Concert 2015 will stream live via webcast starting at 6:30 p.m. on www.un.org/webcast.

For additional information, please contact Jeffrey Brez at e-mail: brez@un.org, tel.: +1 212 963 8070.