Celebrating Europe Day at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music
© DrewAltizer Photography
Director of International Trade & Commerce of the City and County of San Francisco, Mark Chandler speaking during the Europe Day celebrations at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Left to Right: Teresa Fernandes (AICEP Director San Francisco), Micheál Smith (Consul General of Ireland), Nicolaos Theophanous (Honorary Consul of the Republic of Cyprus), Enrique Asorey Brey (Consul General of Spain), Oliver Schramm (Consul General of Germany), Frédéric Jung (Consul General of France), Nathalie Delrue-McGuire (Honorary Consul of Belgium), Isabella Tomás (Consul of Austria), Ann Hänni (Consul General of Estonia), Dirk Janssen (Consul General of the Netherlands), Daniel Da Cruz (Consul General of Luxembourg), Sergio Strozzi (Consul General of Italy), Socrates Sourvinos (Consul General of Greece), Dana BELDIMAN (Honorary Consul General of Romania), Giulia Geneletti (Tech Policy Trainee at the EU Office in San Francisco); at the podium: Mark Chandler (Director of International Trade & Commerce of the City and County of San Francisco)
We celebrated Europe Day on May 9, 2023!
This date marks the anniversary of the historic “Schuman declaration” presented in 1950 by French foreign minister Robert Schuman. The declaration proposed the creation of a united Europe with the aim of ensuring lasting peace and prosperity in the aftermath of World War II, thus laying the foundation for the European Union as we know it today.
This year was the first time Europe Day was celebrated in San Francisco since the EU Office opened its doors in the city. Together with the San Francisco Consular Corps, Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, his Royal Highness Prince Guillaume Jean Joseph Marie, Prince of Luxembourg, and the City of San Francisco, the EU Office celebrated this special day at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
The ceremony opened with speeches by Gerard de Graaf, Head of the EU Office in San Francisco, Mark Chandler, Director of International Trade & Commerce of the City and County of San Francisco, as well as his Royal Highness Prince Guillaume Jean Joseph Marie, Prince of Luxembourg. The introductory speeches were followed by a performance of the EU and US anthem and Mozart’s Oboe Quartet in F Major – both sung and played by students of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and proudly introduced by Colin Murdoch, president of the conservatory. After the performances, the event provided an opportunity for attendees to network and celebrate.
