To mark the 200th anniversary of Uruguay’s independence, the Ambassador of Uruguay to the Netherlands, H.E. Mr. Álvaro González Otero, hosted a commemorative concert on 22 August at the Church of Our Saviour in The Hague. The evening featured a performance by world-renowned Uruguayan organist, harpsichordist, and music director Cristina García Banegas, as part of her European concert tour, which includes Strasbourg, Haarlem, The Hague, and Montmartre in Paris.
The concert drew around three hundred guests, including ambassadors from Estonia, El Salvador, Rwanda, Algeria, Cameroon, Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico and Bosnia & Herzegovina, as well as numerous diplomats, representatives of international institutions, and distinguished personalities from the international legal community. Among them were Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, the first woman president of the International Criminal Court, and Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, president of the UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals. Also present were representatives members of the Uruguayan and international community, Dutch business and academics, and parishioners of Our Saviour.
Cristina García Banegas presented a carefully curated program, performing works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Lionel Rogg, Joan Cabanilles, Antonio Sáenz, and Astor Piazzolla, as well as two of her own compositions. Her performance was magnificently rendered on the recently restored organ of the Church of Our Saviour (built in 1955), which underwent a year of specialized restoration work.
“We are honored to welcome Ms. Cristina García Banegas, a world-renowned organist from Uruguay” Ambassador González Otero said.
Garcia Banegas is a distinguished member of the Grandes Orgues de Chartres and her illustrious career includes performances across Europe, the United States, Japan, Israel, Russia, and Latin America. She has also conducted masterclasses in Spain, Switzerland, France, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, and the United States.
Ambassador González Otero recalled first meeting García Banegas in the 1990s in Washington, D.C., when she was already an acclaimed musician. He highlighted her pioneering role as founder of the Ensemble Vocal & Instrumental De Profundis and creator of one of Latin America’s most recognized organ festivals, the Festival Internacional del Órgano de Uruguay.
“With over 50 recordings to her name—including the complete organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach—Cristina García Banegas has elevated Uruguay’s musical heritage onto the global stage. Her achievements have earned her the nation’s highest cultural honors, including recognition as Ciudadana Ilustre de Montevideo in 2022 and the Delmira Agustini Medal of Cultural Merit in 2023.”
In his closing remarks, Ambassador González Otero expressed gratitude: “This extraordinary concert could not have been possible without the support and kindness of Father Sjaak de Boer and his team. A heartfelt thank you to all.”
Addressing the audience, Father Sjaak de Boer, who is celebrating 40 years of priestly service, expressed his delight at hosting the event. “It is a great honor to congratulate Uruguay on its 200th anniversary. Thanks to the engagement of the Uruguayan Embassy, we are blessed with such a distinguished gathering here on a Friday evening,” he said. Father de Boer shared that from his office he had already enjoyed listening to Cristina García Banegas, who had arrived that afternoon from Haarlem, where she is performing several concerts. “It was a privilege to hear her rehearse for the very first time on our newly renovated organ,” he added.
The evening concluded with a prolonged standing ovation. Showered with flowers and applause, García Banegas returned to the stage to perform an encore, leaving the audience with a final, unforgettable gift of music. It was, truly, a privilege to hear one of the world’s finest organists perform in honor of Uruguay’s Bicentennial.
