23 December 2013 - Forty-four artists from sixteen different countries gathered at the 32nd UNICEF Gala Concert Night on December 7 at Hilden, Germany. The beneficiary for this year’s gala event is the Philippines.
In her speech, Ambassador Maria Cleofe R. Natividad commended UNICEF, Commerzbank - the Gala’s main sponsor, and Hilden Mayor Horst Thiele for their noble efforts in organizing the evening’s musical treat. The Ambassador expressed the Philippine government’s appreciation to UNICEF for its immediate launching of an emergency response to help the five million children affected by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).
She also noted with pride that a Filipino singer, Stephanie Reese, had been invited to perform at this world-class concert. Soon after the Ambassador gave her speech, Ms. Stephanie Reese gave a powerful vocal rendition of the song “Bayan Ko,” accompanied by French Filipino pianist, John Florencio. The concert, which lasted five hours, continued to captivate and awe the audience with hits from Broadway, opera and jazz classics, with a standing ovation after each performance.
The musical treat was capped off with a mini-Christmas concert with all the evening’s artists gathering on stage and performing an unforgettable group performance.
In the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), the UNICEF Committee, along with Commerzbank made the Philippines the beneficiary of the Evening Gala’s proceeds. END