Schwerin (dpa/mv) – After a good two years with massively restricted offers in culture and tourism due to corona, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania wants to bring itself back into the international conversation. In particular, the exclusive guest performance of the New York Philharmonic in mid-May on Usedom should also contribute to this. In preparation, Birgit Hesse will travel to New York from March 20th to 24th in her dual function as President of the State Parliament and the Tourist Association, the state parliament announced on Thursday.
According to Hesse, a sign should be sent that things are starting again. “We want and have to signal on as many markets as possible that we are looking forward to guests from near and far in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania,” said Hesse according to the announcement. She is looking forward to the unique opportunity to draw attention to Mecklenburg-West Pomerania as a holiday destination in the USA in connection with the concerts of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. “The orchestra’s performances in our federal state attract attention that we want to use,” said the President.
In addition to a joint press conference by the State Tourism Association and the Usedom Music Festival with representatives of the Philharmonic, further meetings are planned in New York. Among other things, Hesse will meet with the Speaker of the House of Commons in New York State and the President of the American Council on Germany, a non-governmental organization for strengthening German-American relations.
According to the previous plans, the New York Philharmonic will be guests at the Historical-Technical Museum Peenemünde on Usedom from May 20th to 22nd under the motto “Peace, Diversity and Freedom”. The three-day guest performance, which came about with the participation of the US Consul General in Hamburg, is a special concert of the Usedom Music Festival, which, according to director Thomas Hummel, has been working towards for more than ten years.
The three concerts take place on historic ground, the site of the former army research institute in Peenemünde, where the Nazis developed and tested their rockets. The museum commemorates both the terror and suffering associated with the so-called V-weapons and the technical developments that continued in the USA after the end of the war.
The violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter will also be a guest at the concerts and will perform a piece dedicated to her by her late husband André Previn. His family had fled from the National Socialists to the USA.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:220224-99-268348/2
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