“Europe, peace and culture” in the Pablo Casals Museum
On Saturday, May 10, and on the occasion of Europe Day (May 9), the Pau Casals Museum hosted a moving gathering of individuals connected to European institutions and admirers of Pau Casals and the values he upheld throughout his life.
The event aimed to reaffirm the European project and pay tribute to Casals’ enduring commitment to peace and human dignity, from his beloved summer residence by the beach in Sant Salvador. A place rich in memory and symbolism, where music, culture, and civic engagement come together.
Pau Casals: Music and Commitment
Pau Casals is one of the most universal figures of Catalan culture. A performer, conductor, composer, and teacher, his artistic career was inseparable from his lifelong defense of peace, democracy, and human rights.
He used to say, “You cannot separate music from life“, and his work was indeed a powerful expression of his social commitment. Beyond his artistic accolades, in 1971 he received the United Nations Peace Medal and was invited to compose a peace anthem for the UN.
A Gathering of European Voices
After visiting the museum, an institutional event was held, featuring the reading of a declaration in support of the European project, highlighting cultural diversity as a shared heritage of Europe and peace as a fundamental pillar for building a better future.
The event included contributions from prominent European figures and concluded with a heartfelt performance by cellist Guillem Vellvé, who played solo renditions of the European Anthem and El cant dels ocells, a symbol of Casals’ message of peace.
A Call for Peace from Sant Salvador
This initiative is intended as a call for peace in Europe and a recognition of culture’s essential role in promoting unity and transformation. And it does so from a very special place: Pau Casals’ house, a space that invites reflection and dialogue, open to all who wish to explore and share in his legacy.
The event was supported by the European Commission Representation in Barcelona and the European Parliament Office in Barcelona.
The statement was supported by:
Maria Badia – Trustee of the Pau Casals Foundation and former MEP
Martin Schulz – Former President of the European Parliament
Enrique Barón – Former President of the European Parliament
Jordi Xuclà – Catalan Council of the European Movement
Dolors Camats – Director of the Catalunya Europa Foundation
Taha Zitan Echcharif – President of the Young European Federalists of Catalonia
Marcel Fernández Mesalles – Head of Communications, Young European Federalists of Catalonia
Anna Terrón – Former MEP
Joan Fuster-Sobrepere – Director of the Pau Casals UNESCO Chair
Bodil Valero – Former MEP
Doris Pack – Former MEP
Philippe Laurette – President of the Jean Monnet Association
Xavier Ferrer – Former President of the Catalan Council of the European Movement
Gabriel Vázquez – Journalist
Manuel Szapiro – Director of the European Commission Representation in Barcelona
Carles Torner – Cultural manager and writer; executive director of PEN International
Claudia Ritter-De Decker – Trustee of the Pau Casals Foundation
Cristina Gallach – Trustee of the Pau Casals Foundation
Victoria Tissot – Representative of the Embassy of Art of Ukraine
H.E. Mr. Oleg Grabovetskyy – Acting Consul General of Ukraine in Barcelona
Birgit Schmidt – Cellist
Jo Leinen – Former MEP
Antoni Segura – Professor of Contemporary History at the University of Barcelona and former President of CIDOB
Santiago Fisas – Former MEP
Stephen Hughes – Former MEP
Viviane Reding – Former MEP
Teresa Riera – Director of the European Movement in the Balearic Islands