Austrian Information
Volume 60 | September/October 2007
Visits to Washington
In this issue:
Federal Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer’s Visit in the U.S.
Visit of the Austrian Health Minister Andrea Kdolsky
Vice Chancellor Wilhelm Molterer at the Annual World Bank and IMF Meeting
Austrian Minister of the Interior Gunther Platter’s Visit
Austria’s Cooperation with The World Bank Group
The Washington Office of the Austrian Trade Commission
Austria’s Cooperation with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
Interview with Houston Symphony Music Director Hans Graf
Awards:
Professor Egon Schwarz
Cecilia Porter
The Trapp Family Receives Award
Austrian Institute Celebrates 10th Anniversary
Dear Readers,
The past months have been marked by a series of high-level Austrian visits to the U.S., providing opportunity for exchange of information on a wide range of issues.
For over sixty years, the World Bank has played a decisive role in the fight against poverty and in promoting sustainable development in all parts of the world. Today, the World Bank is an important partner with valuable know-how for the Austrian Development Cooperation, and it provides significant opportunities for Austrian companies through World Bank projects in Central and Eastern Europe. Austrian Information spoke with the Austrian representatives to the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and with the head of the Trade Commission’s Washington, D.C. office about Austria’s cooperation with these institutions.
Having led major orchestras of North America and Europe, Austrian conductor Hans Graf became Music Director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra in 2001. In an interview with AI, he spoke of his career and his experiences conducting the Houston Symphony Orchestra as well as other orchestras from around the globe.
Last month was also marked by the sad news of the passing of two renowned Austrians whose contributions to the American cultural world remain unforgotten: Internationally-recognized Austrian-American singer and film producer Elfriede Dassanowsky and Austrian jazz legend Joe Zawinul.
Sincerely yours,
Wolfgang Renezeder
Editor-in-Chief
Administrator
Federal Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer’s Visit in the U.S.
Dr. Alfred Gusenbauer’s first visit to the U.S. (September 24 - 28) as Austrian Federal Chancellor and as head of the delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in New York was marked by international efforts directed toward protection of the environment.
Visit of the Austrian Health Minister Andrea Kdolsky
Austrian Federal Minister of Health Dr. Andrea Kdolsky visited Boston and Washington, D.C. from September 19 - 25, heading a large business delegation to exchange information on trends in U.S. health care and hospital management. In Boston the delegation met with academics and health care leaders at Harvard and M.I.T. and at private research institutes and associations to discuss how to cover the medical costs of an aging population at a time when medical treatment and pharmaceutical drugs are becoming more expensive.
Vice Chancellor Wilhelm Molterer at the Annual World Bank and IMF Meeting
Austria’s Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister of Finance Wilhelm Molterer visited Washington, D.C. from October 19 - 21 to attend the 2007 Annual Meeting of the World Bank and IMF.
Austrian Minister of the Interior Gunther Platter’s Visit
During a bilateral visit to the U.S. from October 23 - 25, Austrian Minister of the Interior Günther Platter met with U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff in Washington, D.C. The discussion focused on closer cooperation in the fight against organized crime and terrorism. Areas of cooperation have included exchange of DNA data and information in the field of online surveillance, which was recently introduced in Austria. In regard to the devastating consequences of the fires in California, Minster Platter offered U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Chertoff assistance by providing Austrian expertise on the re-forestation of the burned areas from the air.
Austria’s Cooperation with The World Bank Group
For over sixty years, the World Bank has played a decisive role in the fight against poverty and in promoting sustainable development in all parts of the world. Established in 1945, following the ratification of the Bretton Woods Agreement, the World Bank initially made a significant contribution to European reconstruction. Today, the World Bank is an important partner with valuable know-how for the Austrian Development Cooperation, and it provides significant opportunities for Austrian companies through World Bank projects in Central and Eastern Europe as well as in the West Balkans, traditional areas of interest for the Austrian economy. This year’s annual meeting, attended by Vice Chancellor Wilhelm Molterer, was marked by discussions of future World Bank priorities and strategies. Austrian Information spoke with the Austrian representative to the World Bank, Senior Advisor Norbert Feldhofer, about Austria’s cooperation with the World
The Washington Office of the Austrian Trade Commission
The Austrian Trade Commission, the foreign trade service operated by the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, assists Austrian companies with “doing business” abroad. It has 107 offices in more than 70 countries around the world, including the U.S., where the primary office is located in New York City.
Austria’s Cooperation with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
Another important Washington-based development bank, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), pursues a similar goal, focusing only on Latin America and the Caribbean. Established in 1959, the IDB is the largest source of multilateral financing in this region and has country offices in all of its 26 borrowing member countries. Its outstanding loan portfolio of 46 billion is three times as large as that of the World Bank for this region.
Interview with Houston Symphony Music Director Hans Graf
Known for his wide range of repertoire and creative programming, Hans Graf - a native Austrian and Music Director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra since 2001 - is one of today’s most respected musicians. Maestro Graf has led the leading orchestras of North America, Europe, Japan and Australia, and has participated in prestigious music festivals in the U.S. and Europe. He was recently awarded the Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria. In an interview with AI, he spoke of his career and his experiences conducting the Houston Symphony Orchestra as well as other orchestras from around the globe.
Joe Zawinul
(1932 - 2007)
A musical prodigy in war-torn Vienna, Joe Zawinul, born Josef Erich Zawinul, became one of the most influential jazz musicians of the past century. As a prominent jazz keyboardist and composer, he pioneered the use of electronic keyboards and was a leading force behind ‘jazz fusion,’ blending jazz with other forms of music. He is also credited with bringing African and Middle Eastern rhythms to mainstream jazz. Over decades, Zawinul received two Amadeus awards, several Grammys, the Miles Davis Award and the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik. On the occasion of his death on September 11, 2007 at the age of 75, Austrian President Heinz Fischer referred to the loss of an “ambassador of music,” who was known and honored around the world.
Elfriede von Dassanowsky
(1924 - 2007)
Internationally recognized Austrian-American singer, pianist and film producer, Elfriede “Elfi” Dassanowsky, died October 2 at the age of eighty-three in Los Angeles. She was well known as a woman of many talents and achievements, a list of which singles her out as someone remarkable for a woman of her generation: opera singer, pianist, actress, film studio founder, producer, creator of musical theater, teacher, cultural diplomat and humanitarian.
Professor Egon Schwarz
Egon Schwarz, Professor Emeritus of Germanic Languages and Literatures in Arts & Sciences and Rosa May Distinguished University Professor Emeritus in the Humanities, was awarded the Grand Decoration of Honour of the Republic of Austria.
Cecelia Porter
Classical music critic and musicologist Dr. Cecelia Porter was recently awarded the Decoration of Merit in Gold of the Republic of Austria. As classical music critic for the Washington Post for twenty-two years, she has written articles for numerous music publications. Dr. Porter, who was also a Fulbright recipient in Vienna, has vast knowledge of Austrian history of music and the contemporary music scene and has contributed substantial information on music from Austria in the U.S. She is currently researching the Austrian composers, Maria Bach and Frida Kern for her book, Women, Music and Society.
Trapp Family Receives Award
In celebration of the Braunau Contemporary History Days 2007, the Egon Ranshofen - Wertheimer Prize, named after the journalist, diplomat and scholar of law, Egon Ranshofen, born 1894 in Ranshofen (Braunau am Inn), was awarded for the first time to an Austrian expatriate who has served Austria in some very significant way. The decision was made to honor the former refugee family, Trapp. Accepting the prize on behalf of the Trapp Family was Elisabeth von Trapp Walker, granddaughter of Georg Ritter von Trapp.
Austrian Institute Celebrates 10th Anniversary
Since 1997 some 83,000 participants learned German through courses offered by the Austrian Institute. Over the last ten years, the Austrian Institute (Österreich Institut GmbH) has become a trademark for learning about Austria through German language courses offered throughout Central and Eastern European countries.
Photo credits:
Gerald Nino; Peter Cutts; Johannes Zinner/Federal Chancellery; Nelson Minerly; Stefan Pleger/Austrian Development Coooperation; Austria Wirtschaftsservice; Houston Symphony; Marco D’Amico and Belvedere Film