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A Vatican-sponsored concert featuring the Pittsburgh Symphony was made possible by a grant from the Knights of Columbus. The special concert on Jan. 17 took place in the Paul VI Auditorium at the Vatican. It marks the first time that a U.S. symphony orchestra performed at the Vatican for a pope. The concert commemorates the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's election to the papacy and his interfaith outreach to Muslims, Jews and Christians.
In announcing the Order's participation, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said funds were being provided for the concert in gratitude for the pope's leadership. "Peace and reconciliation have had no more steadfast champion than Pope John Paul II," Anderson said. "This concert shows our gratitude for his example and direction during the jubilee year of his papacy."
The Vatican invitation was issued through Maestro Gilbert Levine to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. The American-born Levine has been referred to by "60 Minutes" as the "pope's maestro" and has conducted many of the top European orchestras at the Vatican over the years. Levine chose to feature an orchestra from the United States because in his view there is no country that better represents the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths and embodies a society of tolerance.
Watch video of the concert on-line, as well as a speech by Pope John Paul II and interviews with Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and Bishop Donald Wuerl.
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