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Chinese Pianist Lang Lang to Perform with Sting on United Nations Day

| Oct 22, 2014 01:24 AM EDT

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Chinese pianist Lang Lang, who serves as United Nations Messenger of Peace, will be performing at the UN Headquarters in New York on Friday as part of the celebration of United Nations Day.

The pianist will be playing with Grammy-award winning musician Sting, along with an international youth orchestra under the baton of Manuel Lopez-Gomez, according to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

"The concert offers an opportunity to highlight the UN's focus on youth and the education of global citizens," said Dujarric at a daily news briefing on Monday.

"It also marks an important milestone--the global observance of the 70th anniversary of the UN," Dujarric said.

The 32-year-old musician was given his UN designation by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon on Oct. 28, 2013, according to Xinhua. Lang Lang said that his role in the organization is more important to him than his music because, through education, it can help improve the lives of children around the world.

Lang Lang has performed with renowned orchestras in Europe, the United States and his home country China.

In 1947, the UN General Assembly declared Oct. 24 as the day which "shall be devoted to making known to peoples of the world the aims and achievements of the United Nations and to gaining their support" for its work. The day coincides with the anniversary of the charter of the organization.

The United Nations Week, meanwhile, is celebrated from Oct. 20 to 26.

In 1971, the General Assembly conceived a further resolution stating that the United Nations Day shall be an international holiday, and recommended that all United Nations member states observe it as a public holiday.

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