With EU support, an Oscar Music concert was performed at the Bender fortress

August 1, 2021

The Moldovan National Youth Orchestra (MNYO) organized a captivating concert at the Bender Fortress, on Saturday, 31 July. Musicians from both banks of the Nistru river performed the soundtracks of Oscar Movies. The event was organized in the framework of the EU “Confidence Building Measures” Programme, implemented by the UNDP.

This is the third concert of the MNYO at the Bender fortress. This time, the orchestra performed the music of 20 Oscar movies, in a fortress where restoration works will start soon, thanks to European Union’s support.

“The Bender Fortress is a place of immense cultural touristic potential and this event is more than just a performance – it is a real cultural bridge, that I’m sure people want to see more of, and we will be happy to support. Thanks to the generous contribution of the EU for the conservation and restoration of the fortress, a joint work that UNDP is implementing we have been able to make very good use of the fortress’s potential to bring people together,” mentioned Dima Al-Khatib, UNDP Resident Representative to the Republic of Moldova.

The tickets to the concert were sold out several days before the event.

“In 2017 we had an idea to organize a concert here, an idea that was considered by some people a little daring. We are thankful for their support to the Bender fortress administration and to our partner Agency for Regional Development, as they believed in us; they supported our idea. I am very happy that cultural events here, at the Bender fortress, became a tradition, not an exception,” mentioned Andriano Marian, the founder and conductor of the MNYO.

The concert is a part of a series of events dedicated to the celebration of 10 years from the MNYO founding.

“This is a wonderful event with many talented musicians. We’re so keen on witnessing cultural events, see each other and share the joy of life,” said Liudmila, who came from Chisinau to the Bender fortress together with her family.

The EU “Confidence Building Measures” Programme implemented by UNDP contributes to enhancing confidence between people living on both banks of the Nistru River by involving the representatives of business environment, civil society, and media in joint projects.

An Oscar Music concert was performed at the Bender fortress