Photo Flash: The Rhythms of One World 2015 Choral Festival Comes to a Close at Alice Tully Hall

On Monday, June 29th at 7:30 p.m. the hugely successful The Rhythms of One World 2015 Choral Festival (TROW2015) came to a close with a performance at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. The festival has been a global event celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter, "We the Peoples." Scroll down for photos from the concert!

Since the opening night concert at the United Nations General Assembly on June 26th, "New York City has for almost a week literally been the center of International harmony" noted Patrick Sciarratta, Executive Director of the Friendship Ambassadors Foundation (FAF) that presented choral ensembles from around the globe in five city wide concerts that included the Allegretto Children's Choir from Romania, Chamber Choir Ivan Filipovic from Croatia, The Singing Angels from the United States, National Centre for the Performing Arts Choir from the Peoples Republic of China, along with the Ulsan Philharmonic Orchestra from the Republic of Korea.

As was the case for the 2012 NYC festival, TROW2015 was sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Romania to the United Nations and Her Excellency Ambassador Simona Miculescu and also this year by festival Center Stage Lead Sponsor and Executive Producer Ms. Alice Liu, President of the American Oriental Arts Foundation, who hosted the closing night performance at Lincoln Center. In a thank you letter to all participants Ms. Liu said, "Strong UN, Better World is the motto promoted by these performances sponsored by our foundation, and this festival once again demonstrated the magic power of music. Over the past 16 years, it has always been the mission of our foundation to establish and connect bridges of friendship between different cultures and countries."

Composer Gary Fry was the festival's Artistic Director and the closing night's Co-Masters of Ceremonies were Elizabeth Lyman, Managing Director and Head of Executive Communications for the Mitsubishi UFJ Finacial Group and Cheryl Wills, Anchor and Senior Reporter for New York One News.

As Festival Managing Director and FAF Artistic Director Yin-Chu Jou noted in her evening's remarks, "As the slogan of the Friendship Ambassadors Foundation goes, 'Music is the medium; Friendship is the message.' This festival itself began with friendships, from our friendship with Emmy-winning composer and Festival Artistic Director Gary Fry whom I've toured with to Hurricane-stricken Louisiana in 2006, to our friendship with Madame Ambassador Simona Miculescu who made the premiere in 2012 possible."

Along with all participating festival choirs, the Alice Tully Hall closing night concert featured the UNRocks Group which included Ambassador Miculescu, Ambassador Ib Petersen of Denmark, Ambassador Oh Joon of the Republic of Korea, Ambassador Milan Milanovic of Serbia, Ambassador Mahe'uli'uli Sandhurst Tupouniua of the Kingdom of Tonga, Ambassador Virachai Plasai of Thailand, and UN Secretariat Sergio Pereira.

There is no understanding without conversation, no resolution without respect and for more than five decades FAF has facilitated respectful, artistic, cultural, and in the case of TROW2015 musical conversations among the peoples of the world. As noted in their vision statement, "To enable and enhance understanding among the peoples of the world by bringing diverse communities together in a cultural atmosphere of cooperation and mutual respect."