The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) will join the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the City of Sarajevo and public TV channels of Bosnia-Herzegovina, France and Germany in commemorating the centenary of the outbreak of World War I with a unique concert in Sarajevo in June 2014.

The performance, involving the Opera Choir of the National Theatre of Sarajevo, will take place on Saturday 28 June 2014, exactly 100 years after the assassination of Archduke Franz-Ferdinand von Habsburg-Este.

The programme will feature composers from Austria, Germany and France and will take place in the Vijećnica, the old Bosnian-Herzegovinian National and University Library and former Town Hall currently under renovation. The concert will be relayed on video screens outside the building.

BHRT, ZDF and France Télévisions will co-produce a live TV programme from inside the Vijećnica, with the EBU transmitting the signal live to TV and radio channels worldwide for live or deferred broadcast.

The concert, led by renowned conductor Franz Welser-Möst, offers the people of Sarajevo and a worldwide audience a live tribute to peace and international friendship.

It not only commemorates a significant moment in Europe's history, it also marks the birth of a new Europe and a new century.  Memories of the past will be honoured by hopes for a peaceful future for a reunited continent.

In the lead-up to the centenary, the EBU is leading a collaborative push among Members to create a rich portfolio of thematic co-productions across TV and radio platforms.  The concert is one of several  events being coordinated.

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