All citizens are invited NRW state government celebrates Basic Law in Bonn
Bonn · The NRW state government’s summer concert will take place in Bonn on 22 June. Minister President Armin Laschet will thus pay tribute to the federal city as the birthplace of the Basic Law. All citizens are invited.
Bonn was the birthplace of the Grundgesetz or Basic Law (Germany’s constitution) 70 years ago. On the occasion of this special birthday, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia has a prepared a special gift for the city of Bonn and its citizens: the state government’s traditional summer concert will this year take place at the German President’s official Bonn residence, in the grounds of Villa Hammerschmidt. All citizens are invited. Entrance is free of charge.
“I’m absolutely delighted that this tribute is taking place at a central location in our state – in the grounds of Villa Hammerschmidt, the seat of the head of state,” said Minister President Armin Laschet of this decision. The summer concert is planned for Saturday, 22 June. The New Westphalian Philharmonic Orchestra from Recklinghausen, under the direction of Rasmus Baumann, as well as several soloists will play that evening from 8.30pm to 10.15pm. The soloists are the saxophonist Asya Fateyeva, the violinist Kirill Troussov, the tenor Leonardo Caimi and the soprano Dongmin Lee.
All the musicians have a regional connection: conductor Rasmus Baumann was born in Gelsenkirchen and studied in Essen and Bochum. Asya Fateyeva has a teaching position at the music school in Münster, the tenor Caimi is currently engaged at the Aalto Theatre Essen and Bonn Opera, where he sings Henry in Verdi’s “Sicilian Vespers”. Troussov studied at the music school in Cologne and soprano Lee works at the music theatre in Gelsenkirchen.
In his statement on the choice of concert venue for 2019, Laschet refers to Bonn’s central role in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany: the Parliamentary Council met in Bonn from 1948 until the promulgation of the Basic Law in May 1949. The Bundestag, Bundesrat and the federal government had their seats here until the reunification of Germany, or more specifically the relocation of the Parliament and parts of the government in 1999.
This is the sixth classical summer concert in the form of an open-air event that the state has organised at various locations in NRW. No tickets or registrations are needed for the concert. Laschet will open the concert in the presence of cabinet members, said Matthias Kowalski from the press office of the state chancellery.
The concert will have a “picnic atmosphere”. Visitors may bring rugs or folding chairs as well as their picnic and drinks. There will also be food and drink available to purchase on site. The organisers ask everyone to avoid using glass bottles and containers.
(Original text: Lisa Inhoffen. Translation: kc)
