The Dutch and Belgian royal couples opened the concert to mark the beginning of the 12th Dutch Presidency of the Council of the European Union on Friday January 22 in Brussels.
They were joined in by Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the EU, Ambassador Pieter de Gooijer, bilateral head of mission to Belgium, Ambassador Maryem van den Heuvel and many other personalities including Brussels Airlines CEO Viscount Étienne Davignon.
The concert took place at BOZAR in Brussels city centre. Its orchestra was led by Swedish-born conductor Herbert Blomstedt who played Wagners Vorspiel und Liebestod from ‘Tristan und Isolde’, Lidholms Poesis as well as Dvořáks Symphony nr. 9 ‘Out of the New World’.
During its presidency The Netherlands has for goals to focus on migration, combating terrorism and the stimulus for economic growth and employment.
For more information: http://english.eu2016.nl
