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One year after his death, a series of programs commemorating Luciano Pavarotti will be held around the world, including a concert scheduled at the historical site of Petra, Jordan on October 11 and 12,  2008.

According to the Associated Press, the Petra concert will host some of the biggest names in music will take part in a charity concert “Pavarotti and Friends,” including Elton John, Bono, Celine Dion, Joe Cocker and Sting — all of whom have duetted with Pavarotti.

Reuters reports:

The tribute is the brainchild of Nicoletta Mantovani, Pavarotti’s widow and HRH Princess Haya, a fellow UN Messenger of Peace and daughter of Jordan’s late King Hussein. “A concert in Petra was a dream once shared by the late King Hussein of Jordan and Luciano,” said Mantovani. “I am so grateful to Her Royal Highness Princess Haya, for making it possible to turn this dream into a reality.”

The proceeds of the concert will support joint projects in Afghanistan by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP). A local charity supporting disabled children in Petra will also benefit from the concert.

A separate Reuters’ story on the Pavarotti memorial concert for Afghan refugees reminds us that:

For over ten years, until his death in September 2007, Maestro Pavarotti actively supported UNHCR projects in Kosovo, Pakistan, Zambia, and Iraq. For his continuous commitment to refugee causes, Luciano Pavarotti received UNHCR’s Nansen Refugee Award and was named a UN Messenger of Peace.

The aforementioned AP article quotes Pavarotti’s 38-year-old widow Nicoletta Mantovanias to say the concert was:

“a dream of King Hussein’s as much as it was Luciano’s …”

The English version of Wiener Zeitung additionally states that:

The audience will be limited to 500 spectators, but given the strategies of the recording industry, you can expect a CD of the event as well as a DVD, a blu-ray disc and maybe a coffee table book.

The following ReliefWeb page provides these contacts for those seeking more information on the UNHCR-WFP Pavarotti Tribute Project.

• Brenda Barton
  Deputy Director of Communications
  Tel. +39-06-65132602
  Cell. +39-3472582217 (ISDN line available)

• Bettina Luescher
  WFP/New York
  Tel. +1-212-9635196
  Cell. +1-646-8241112

• Lionello Boscardi
  WFP/Rome
  Tel. +39-06-65132234
  Cell. +39-335-201960

• Vichi DeMarchi
  Tel. +39 06 6513 2058
  Cell. +39 348-0517605

• Natasha Scripture
  WFP/Rome
  Tel. +39 06 6513 3146
  Cell: +39 340 466 3480

And if that’s not enough, some folks were kind enough to email me the following information:

The website for the concert is currently under construction but we hope it will go live this week, the address is http://www.thepavarottitribute.com/ you will be able to see all the details of the concert here.

• Weekend Package – $7624 USD (£4250.00) per person
• Concert ticket plus 1 night hotel accommodation -  $5112 USD (£2850.00)

www.eventsbyappointment.com

Thanks so much David S. for that update!

Tags: Pavarotti, petra, UNHCR-WFP