European Commision Visit and Presidency Opening Ceremony
The key accent and main axis of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU opening ceremony (author of scenario and director Dalius Abaris) is the Sąšauka musical work (composed by Kipras Mašanauskas), using drum beats to represent harmony, agreement and communication. Sąšauka should demonstrate the community of Lithuania and Europe based on musical and visual means. The event includes 28 musical pieces, each presenting an EU Member State (including Croatia that joined the EU on 1 July).
The opening of the Presidency of the EU Council will be marked at a unique historical venue, the ensemble of Vilnius University, the oldest in Eastern Europe. Music will be performed on the stage of the courtyard of the university by the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Modestas Pitrėnas), the Kaunas State Choir (headed by Petras Bingelis) and the Mixed Children's Choir of the National Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis School of Art. The event will be broadcast live on TV and the internet, thus presenting Lithuanian's cultural and architectural heritage to an international audience.
The official opening ceremony, hosted by H.E. Dalia Grybauskaitė, President of the Republic of Lithuania, expects to see Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, members of the European Commission, and Herman van Rompuy, President of the European Council and 1,000 distinguished Lithuanian representatives of culture, policy and business.
On their visit to Vilnius, members of the European Commission will meet the President of the Republic of Lithuania, the Prime Minister and members of the Government. The visit will be used to discuss current issues concerning EU policy. The meeting will take place at the National Art Gallery, Vilnius University and the Office of the President of the Republic of Lithuania.