Philadelphia Organist Invited to Aix-en-Provence

 Sister Cities Program seeks local organist to participate in French festival in May.

 Philadelphia's Sister Cities Program offers opportunities each year for local citizens to participate in various exchanges here and abroad.  The latest opportunity is for a local organist to perform in France - in Aix-en-Provence - during its 7th Annual Organ Festival, Le Festival d’Orgue St Sauveur.

 Aix-en-Provence, which "twinned" with Philadelphia in 1999, has invited a Philadelphia organist to perform a one hour recital at the historic Cathédrale Saint Sauveur.  The festival is being arranged by the l'Association Orgue Plus on Sunday, May 2, 2010 with two days of rehearsals prior to the concert.  This opportunity is open to a professional organist or teacher.

 The organist chosen to participate will receive an honorarium, as well as meals and accommodations for three days. The organist is responsible for his/her travel arrangement to and from Aix, with the Sister Cities Office providing special Sister Cities health insurance.

 The deadline for organists and teachers to submit their interest and CV to the Sister Cities Office is February 5, 2010.  Information about applying for the exchange can be found at www.ivc.org/sister_cities.

 About the Association "Orgue Plus"
The Association was founded in1995 to “give life” to the organ of the Cathedral of Aix en Provence.  The president is Chantal de Zeew, organist and organ teacher at the Academy of Music in Aix en Provence.  She is also an international performer.  Since 2003, the Association has organized an organ festival every year in France and throughout Europe.

 Sister City Opportunities:
Earlier this year the Sister Cities Office began organizing a yachting exchange between retired Russian naval officers and their Philadelphia counterparts for sailing expeditions here and in Russia. Philadelphia's Sister City is Nizhny Novgorod, Russia's third largest city.  Nizhny Novgorod, formerly Gorky, was a "secret" city during the Cold War and is where atomic submarines were made.

 Sister Cities is administered by IVC, the International Visitors Council of Philadelphia, a non-profit international relations, citizen diplomacy organization founded in 1954 to promote Philadelphia internationally through the State Department and other sponsored programs.