A large audience attended the charity concert “Sounds for Peace” at the Musikverein in Vienna. The event was promoted by the Embassy of Italy in Vienna, the Permanent Mission of Italy to the International Organizations, the Permanent Mission to the OSCE and the Italian Cultural Institute, in cooperation with the University of Vienna.
The evening featured the Orchestra and Choir of the University of Vienna, conducted by Maestro Vijay Upadhyaya, who performed free of charge Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem Mass. The event paid tribute to the 125th anniversary of the composer’s death and took place in conjunction with the launch of the Olympic Truce, established by a United Nations General Assembly Resolution facilitated by Italy, on the occasion of the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, set to begin on 6 February.
At the heart of the initiative was its strong spirit of solidarity. As highlighted by Ambassador Giovanni Pugliese and the Rector of the University of Vienna, Sebastian Schütze, the proceeds of the concert and the associated charitable donations will be donated to the World Food Programme’s (WFP) ShareTheMeal initiative, in support of the UN agency’s global fight against hunger.
Sincere thanks to the organizers and the audience were also expressed by Richard Wilcox, Director of the WFP’s Private Partnerships Division, who emphasized how initiatives of this kind provide concrete support to the Organization’s work on behalf of the most vulnerable populations, particularly in contexts affected by humanitarian crises and conflict.
In an international landscape marked by rising levels of food insecurity, the initiative demonstrated how cultural diplomacy can translate into tangible support through the engagement of institutions and civil society. The outcome was made possible thanks to the generosity of more than 1,400 participants and the drive and coordination of the Italian diplomatic missions in Vienna, which promoted the concert as a joint initiative of cooperation and shared responsibility. “Sounds for Peace” forms part of a broader commitment to bringing together art, sport, multilateral dialogue, and humanitarian action.
