On the 21st of November we were pleased to attend the presentation of the Pau Casals Foundation at the Embassy of Spain in Belgium, together with many representatives of international culture-related institutions.
The event was opened by Sergi Farré Salvá, Cultural Counsellor of the Chancellery of the Spanish Embassy in Brussels, who introduced Jordi Pardo, Director of the Foundation. Pardo presented the Foundation, its history and its many activities and initiatives in the field of solidarity and music. More importantly, during his speech we were able to discover more about who Pau Casals was and what he did to promote peace.
Pau Casals was one of the 20th century’s greatest cellists, internationally recognised as one of the finest performers and orchestra conductors of his times. He was always a staunch defender of peace and freedom. His numerous benefit concerts, his commitment to humanitarian actions and his various speeches at the United Nations characterised him clearly as a man of peace. His foundation now aims at implementing these values through the different actions carried out throughout the year.
Institutions as Pau Casals Foundation teach us the power we have through culture, in this case music, and the great positive impact that we can create in society to foster tolerance and education.