When folks say beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, perhaps diplomatic life in Washington was in their minds. In March, the cherry blossoms had not yet reached their peak and May flowers were still a few weeks away. But the musical event at the Portuguese ambassador’s residence was surely a thing of beauty.
“Beauty is truth, truth is beauty.” Haven’t we also heard that? It is true that to appreciate the beauty in Washington’s diplomatic life, one must engage in more than what meets the eye. The ambiance, the nuances, and the vibes communicate the charms in the surroundings of the different ambassadorial residences.
From the moment that Ambassador Nuno Brito began to speak, it became clear that it was going to be a delightful experience. He playfully said that the chef will only serve dinner if the music was good. Those words certainly drew some chuckles and everyone knew that it was time to feel at home in his living room.
But the music was not just good; it was outstanding and so were the promising young artists.
As Rolando Rolim, the young Brazilian pianist, played the piano, one learned about the interesting path of his promising musical career which started with his first performance at age four. When Emanuel Salvador played the violin strings, one could not help but notice the places he has been and also imagine the places he will go to with the exquisite delivery of the compositions Joly Braga Santos and Arvo Pärt.
When intermission arrived, Ambassador Brito made a quick visit to the kitchen reporting back on the the chef’s approval of the music in the air. The aromas of shrimp paella, cod au gratin, and other delectable buffet items soon to appear on the dining table were seeping through.
A picture might say a thousand words, but Morris Simon’s camera lens always captures the essence much more. In the audience was Brazil’s Ambassador Mauro Vieira, who had received the Distinguished Diplomatic Service Award from the World Affairs Council DC a day earlier. Also in the audience was Swiss Ambassador Manuel Sager, under whose leadership the Swiss Embassy plays an important role in educational, cultural, and economic issues, and in addition to his diplomatic skills, Ambassador Sager is gifted with the ability to entertain his guests with music. Along with former Hungarian ambassador András Simonyi, Ambassador Sager played guitar earlier during the “Non-Obvious Diplomacy” dinner hosted at the Swiss Embassy.
Across town at the Embassy of Austria, the Minetti Quarter, which has been noted by Berlin’s Der Tagesspiegel newspaper , as a “musical sensation from Austria,” delivered a mesmerizing performance to a large audience which included diplomats from several countries.
The crisis in Crimea has the potential to derail diplomacy, but determined efforts by diplomats and the Embassy Series united people through musical diplomacy at the Russian Embassy. Ambassador Sergey Kislyak’s remarks suggested a vigorous effort behind the scenes to keep the diplomatic channels open. National President Club president Myron Belkind took the opportunity to invite President Vladimir Putin for a conversation with the press and the people of United States.
One of the beauties of the event was to see a magnificent performance by Russian-born Adrian Duarov, a versatile cellist, and Chinese-American Di Wu who has been described by the Wall Street Journal as the “most mature and sensitive pianist.” Andreas Pawlitschek and Magister Angelika Schweiger at the Austrian Embassy, Pavel Spitsyn, Russian Embassy cultural attaché, just like Joanna Mayer Castro at the Portuguese Embassy, help facilitate such evenings and engage the audience in numerous ways.
The audience itself is a beautiful aspect of these diplomatic gatherings because it draws in people who are both curious and concerned about finding solutions to problems of international life. Through the conversations, the audience educates and illuminates making such events among the list of the diplomatic beauties in Washington.
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Diplomatic Beauty Comes Alive in Washington
May 2, 2014
When folks say beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, perhaps diplomatic life in Washington was in their minds. In March, the cherry blossoms had not yet reached their peak and May flowers were still a few weeks away. But the musical event at the Portuguese ambassador’s residence was surely a thing of beauty.
“Beauty is truth, truth is beauty.” Haven’t we also heard that? It is true that to appreciate the beauty in Washington’s diplomatic life, one must engage in more than what meets the eye. The ambiance, the nuances, and the vibes communicate the charms in the surroundings of the different ambassadorial residences.
From the moment that Ambassador Nuno Brito began to speak, it became clear that it was going to be a delightful experience. He playfully said that the chef will only serve dinner if the music was good. Those words certainly drew some chuckles and everyone knew that it was time to feel at home in his living room.
But the music was not just good; it was outstanding and so were the promising young artists.
As Rolando Rolim, the young Brazilian pianist, played the piano, one learned about the interesting path of his promising musical career which started with his first performance at age four. When Emanuel Salvador played the violin strings, one could not help but notice the places he has been and also imagine the places he will go to with the exquisite delivery of the compositions Joly Braga Santos and Arvo Pärt.
When intermission arrived, Ambassador Brito made a quick visit to the kitchen reporting back on the the chef’s approval of the music in the air. The aromas of shrimp paella, cod au gratin, and other delectable buffet items soon to appear on the dining table were seeping through.
A picture might say a thousand words, but Morris Simon’s camera lens always captures the essence much more. In the audience was Brazil’s Ambassador Mauro Vieira, who had received the Distinguished Diplomatic Service Award from the World Affairs Council DC a day earlier. Also in the audience was Swiss Ambassador Manuel Sager, under whose leadership the Swiss Embassy plays an important role in educational, cultural, and economic issues, and in addition to his diplomatic skills, Ambassador Sager is gifted with the ability to entertain his guests with music. Along with former Hungarian ambassador András Simonyi, Ambassador Sager played guitar earlier during the “Non-Obvious Diplomacy” dinner hosted at the Swiss Embassy.
Across town at the Embassy of Austria, the Minetti Quarter, which has been noted by Berlin’s Der Tagesspiegel newspaper , as a “musical sensation from Austria,” delivered a mesmerizing performance to a large audience which included diplomats from several countries.
The crisis in Crimea has the potential to derail diplomacy, but determined efforts by diplomats and the Embassy Series united people through musical diplomacy at the Russian Embassy. Ambassador Sergey Kislyak’s remarks suggested a vigorous effort behind the scenes to keep the diplomatic channels open. National President Club president Myron Belkind took the opportunity to invite President Vladimir Putin for a conversation with the press and the people of United States.
One of the beauties of the event was to see a magnificent performance by Russian-born Adrian Duarov, a versatile cellist, and Chinese-American Di Wu who has been described by the Wall Street Journal as the “most mature and sensitive pianist.” Andreas Pawlitschek and Magister Angelika Schweiger at the Austrian Embassy, Pavel Spitsyn, Russian Embassy cultural attaché, just like Joanna Mayer Castro at the Portuguese Embassy, help facilitate such evenings and engage the audience in numerous ways.
The audience itself is a beautiful aspect of these diplomatic gatherings because it draws in people who are both curious and concerned about finding solutions to problems of international life. Through the conversations, the audience educates and illuminates making such events among the list of the diplomatic beauties in Washington.
