From Rome, Bethlehem and Jerusalem
Concert for Life and Peace

It was at a meeting in Valmontone between the mayor of Bethlehem, Hana J. Nasser, the Mayor of Valmontone, Angelo Miele, and the independent event producer Rino Maenza that the Concert for Peace 2001 was born.
In the midst of the Intifada, a group of administrators from Italy guided by the mayor of Valmontone, including the mayors of Artena, Castelsardo, Labico, Roccapriora, Sant'Agata dei Goti, Tivoli, Zagarolo and several other town councils, as well as a party from Rome and a delgation from the Conférence Permanente des Villes Historiques de la Méditerranée travelled to Bethlehem with a group of 15 musicians to perform in the first Concert for Peace at the Nativity complex.

The concert took place in the Hall of the Crusades at the Franciscan complex with many civil and religious authorities, including the Mayor of Bethlehem H. J. Nasser and the Apostolic Delegate, Pietro Sambi.
On Christmas Day 2001, at 2 pm, the Concert started to convey its message of peace and of solidarity into people’s homes troughout the world. This message was launched from the sacred place of the Nativity and transmitted by the music of Bach, Mozart, Corelli and a collection of the most popular pieces of Chistmas traditional music

Playbill
Bethlehem - Hall of the Crusades - Nativity Complex Sunday 23 december 2001 With the Orchestra of the Camera Arts Academy of Rome and the Magnificat Choir of Jerusalem Anita Selvaggio soprano Felix Ayo violino Francesco La Vecchia direttore Director of photography Aldo Solbiati Directed by Vittorio Nevano
Musical programme	Press Release 2001
J.S. Bach, Suite per Violoncello solo n.1 J. Brahms, Wiegenlied - Ninna Nanna (Elaborazione di A. D’Antò) W.A. Mozart, Ave Verum Corpus K 618 L. Lessius – H. Capieu, L’Enfant est né a Bethléem F. Gruber, Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht (Elaborazione di A. D’Antò) Getan – J.S. Bach, Dies hat er alles uns I. Berlin, White Christmas (Elaborazione di A. D’Antò) Puer natus est nobis Canto gregoriano Introduzione alla Messa del giorno A. Corelli, Concerto grosso “Fatto per la notte di Natale” Op.6 n.8 C. Franck, Panis Angelicus (Elaborazione di A. D’Antò) Adeste Fideles Canto tradizionale (Elaborazione di A. D’Antò) J.S. Bach, Seid froh di Dieweil W. A. Mozart, da Exultate Jubilate K 165 - Alleluja

The organisers of the Concert fulfilled their engagement of holding the Christmas Concert once again in the Holy Land. From then on the Concert became known as the Concert for Life and Peace and it took place not only in Bethlehem (in the Church of the Sacred Heart and in Saint Catherine’s Church) but also in Jerusalem, in the prestigious YMCA Auditorium.
The presence of the President of the Rome Province Silvano Moffa and of a big delegation of public administrators confirmed the growing success of the Concert

The Concert continued to grow in importance in the region thanks to the presence of a large number of representatives of Italian institutions, who by taking part in the official delegation of the Concert seized new opporunities to discuss about solidarity, development and cooperation. The heads of delegation were guided by the Senator Hon. Franco Maria Servello, the Senator and Nobel prize-winning Dr. Rita Levi Montalcini and the President of the Rome Province the Hon. Enrico Gasbarra.
The Concert took place in Bethlehem at the Auditorium of the Paul VI University and in Saint Catherine’s Curch during the Holy Mass, as well as in Jerusalem at the Henry Crown Symphony Hall - Jerusalem Theatre.

Playbill
Jerusalem - Henry Crown Symphony Hall Sunday 21 december 2003 Bethlehem - Nativity Church Paul VI University Auditorium Monday 22 december 2003 Orchestra and Choir of Teatro Marruccino di Chieti (Teatro Lirico d'Abruzzo) Artistic director Sergio Rendine Serena Farnocchia soprano Claudia Marchi mezzosoprano Carlo Barricelli tenore Marco Grimaldi Boden basso Fabio D'Orazio maestro del coro Marzio Conti e Aldo Sisillo direttori Nando Citarella e Lucilla Galeazzi voci naturali Artistic director Marco Pucci Catena Director of photography Andrea Gioacchini Directed by Alfredo Cavalieri e Nubia Martini
Musical programme	Press Release 2003