Jubilee X. NAPS International Ecumenical Concert 2014
Bratislava – the 10th NAPS International Ecumenical Concert held on Monday 15th September 2014 at historical building of the Slovak National Theater in Bratislava celebrated 10-year anniversary of the establishment of NAPS Institute. The gala concert introducing artists from Slovakia, Hungary and Austria promoted the dialog and tolerance among various nations and followers of different religious traditions. The concert closed the Bratislava Cultural Summer and Castle Festival 2014. “Every year the International Ecumenical Concert is the climax event of our Institute, which activities focus on education, culture and deepening of human rights,“ stated for the media Peter Solej, the founder of the civic association.
The event has been traditionally held under the auspices of the highest ranking representatives of five largest Christian Churches and Jewish community in Slovakia. The opening speech has been held by the Mayor of the Capital City of Bratislava Milan Ftáčnik. Mons. Stanislav Zvolenský, the Archbishop of Bratislava and President of the Bishops Conference of Slovakia greeted the guests with spiritual words. The event’s message and importance has been endorsed by letters sent by the Hungarian president János Áder and the spiritual leader of the Orthodox Church in the world, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople.
The concert has been attended by over 200 artists. The Chorus Salvatoris following up 100 year-old tradition of liturgical music in Bratislava Jesuit Church has performed works by W. A. Mozart, C. Monteverdi and Mária Jašurdová sacral chants of Roman Catholic Church. More than 80 singers from Chorus Comenianus, operating at the Evangelic Secondary School of Ján Amos Komenský in Košice have arrived straight from their summer camp in Makarska Riviera, Croatia. Young singers performed three chants to be undoubtedly familiar not only among believers of the Evangelical Church of Augsburg Confession. The beauty of the Eastern liturgical chants could be admired thanks to 15 singers of the Choir of St. Ephraim from Budapest, representing Greek Catholic Church, and the Metropolitan Education Choir of Orthodox Church in Slovakia. The concert has also welcomed international artists including the historical choir Kántus of the Reformed College of Debrecen and Shmuel Barzilai, the Chief cantor of the Jewish Community in Vienna.
The gala concert has been traditionally closed by the blessings of bishops of Christian Churches and the prayer of Jewish rabbi in various languages. The finale of the concert, hosted by the famous Slovak hosts Jarmila Lajčáková Hargašová, belonged to the chant Hallelujah performed by all singers supported by the orchestra Musica Iuvenalis from Košice. The concert will be broadcasted by the Slovak TV on Sunday 12th October 2014 in the afternoon on STV2 program.
The civic association has published special publication marking 10-year history and achievements of NAPS Institute. The jubilee concert has welcomed over 400 guests along with Church representatives, ambassadors and chiefs of diplomatic missions of 15 counties.
Under the moral patronage of:
His Excellency Monsignor Stanislav Zvolenský,
Metropolitan Archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bratislava,
The President of the Catholic Bishops´Conference of Slovakia,
The Reverend Mr. Miloš Klátik,
General Bishop of the Evangelical Church of Augsburg Confession
and President of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Slovakia,
His Eminence The Most Reverend Ján Babjak, SJ,
Archbishop of Prešov and Metropolitan of Greek Catholic Church in Slovakia,
Member of the Congregation of the Holy See for Oriental Churches in Vatican,
The Very Reverend Mr. László Fazekas,
Bishop of the Reformed Christian Church in Slovakia
and Vice-President of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Slovakia,
His Beatitude The Most Blessed Rastislav,
Orthodox Archbishop of Prešov
and Metropolitan of Czech Lands and Slovakia,
The Esteemed Prof. Pavel Traubner,
Honorary President of the Central Union
of the Jewish Religious Communities in Slovakia.
Media Partners:
Radio and Television of Slovakia,
TV TA3,
TV LUX,
Press Agency of the Slovak Republic,
weekly Slovenka,
monthly METROPOLA,
monthly DIMENZIE,
monthly inba,
web-portal vyveska.sk