The Monte Carlo Spring Arts Festival kicks off on Friday 15th March with an exciting month-long repertoire of concerts and film.
Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and 5 will be performed on 16th March at the Auditorium Rainier III
Chaired by Princess Caroline of Hanover, a total of 22 concerts and film will be showcased to the public until 14th April. On the program are François-Frédéric Guy, Philippe Bianconi, Renaud Capuçon, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, and many more.
Always faithful to creative minds who have not followed the rules, this year’s Festival Printemps des Arts de Monte Carlo pays tribute to two of the most exciting figures of the 20th century: Mauricio Kagel and Karlheinz Stockhausen. Mauricio Kagel was a self-confessed anti-conformist and always added the element of surprise to his work. The German-Argentine composer is notable for developing the theatrical side of musical performance, but there is a depth to his music that he reveals in an unpretentious way. Meanwhile, German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen is widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but controversial composers of his time. He is known for his groundbreaking work in electronic music and for musical spatialisation.
As every year, the conductors, soloists and orchestras have been carefully chosen for this festival, each according to their repertoire. Headlining will be the famous BBC Symphony Orchestra from London with Renaud Capuçon as soloist, and the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra, one of the few orchestras that do not have a regular conductor in order for it to retain its freedom.
The Spring Arts Festival is the only one in the region to invite such great orchestras, alongside the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra. The aim is to achieve a diversity of sounds, stories and artists, which makes musical life less uniform and standardised. It follows the philosophy that there is not just one form of excellence, there are several of them.
The Monte-Carlo Spring Arts Festival welcomes again this year composer in residence Alexandros Markeas. Pianist, improviser and composer, Markeas is interested in sound as a whole and thinks of music in a theatrical way, willingly using multimedia techniques. In collaboration with various music academy’s throughout the region, he will present his works
So get your a ticket, make yourself comfortable, and let yourself be carried away.
Europe is the latest to ban Boeing 737 Max 8 flights in its airspace following Sunday’s Ethiopian Airlines tragedy. It comes after France, Germany and Britain all announced national prohibitions.
The Boeing 737 Max 8 is a medium-haul aircraft
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said it would be grounding all flights involving the plane, widening a prohibition to all EU member states.
France’s DGAC aviation agency had already stopped all such flights through its airspace on Tuesday. They were one of a number of European countries to make the move.
“Given the circumstances of the accident in Ethiopia, the French authorities have taken the decision, as a precautionary measure, to ban all commercial flights of Boeing 737 Maxs into, out of, or over French territory,” the DGAC authority said.
A wave of countries across the globe have taken the same measures, including Australia, India, China and Singapore.
It comes after an Ethopian Airlines plane crashed on Sunday, killing 157 people on board. It was the second fatal accident involving a 737 Max 8 model in less than five months.
The EASA noted that the “exact causes” of a crash of a 737 MAX aircraft operated by Indonesian airline Lion Air in October, in which 189 lives were lost, were still being investigated. “Since that action, another fatal accident occurred,” EASA said, referring to Sunday’s crash.
Boeing said it had been working to enhance flight control software that would be deployed across the 737 Max fleet in the coming weeks.
The victims killed in Sunday’s Ethiopian tragedy came from more than 30 different nations, and included nearly two dozen United Nations staff bound for Nairobi, the venue this week of a UN conference.
The hugely successful Women in Monaco series continues, highlighting females of the Principality who empower, excel and inspire. This week, thanks to She Can He Can, we talk to Kathleen Jones, Founder and Director of Etiquette and Decorum.
What does success look like to you?
Success is like a big smile, a smile of satisfaction, recognition and empowerment. But behind that big smile there is knowledge, awareness and a lot of patience.
To me success is obtained by putting your knowledge and dedication into action.
Working in Etiquette I am particularly attracted to the letter “E” and on my list of ingredients for success (and I am talking “slow cooking” here not in “microwavable” terms) you will find: education, engagement, elegance, excellence and empowerment.
Of course, there is also the major ingredient of “luck”, that is to say, being at the right place at the right time, but as Sir Stelios once said, “The harder I work, the luckier I get”.
Little happens without hard work. You can follow your dreams but they can only come true with dedication and hard work. It starts with self-belief, knowing your strengths, developing your skills (and the good news is you can learn them) and follows with action and results. The harder you work, the more you will dare to take action, the more you will obtain results, and the results will be packed of your positive energy. I often say to my students that people don’t buy what you do but “why” you do it. It’s like a labour of love but with no room for faking. It takes courage to aim high and to achieve success. It takes courage to come out of your comfort zone and to step into something bigger, to be the “best you”
But success doesn’t come easy, and too often successful people are seen as people having an easy life. The truth is that every mistake is a lesson learnt, every speech is rehearsed, and every decision made is the result of careful thinking. Success is also what you leave behind. What you carry with you and what you leave behind define who you are. I wouldn’t change anything in my life, mistakes included, because all experiences make us who and what we are. We have the responsibility to carry our knowledge forward, to share it with others, with the new generations, thereby bringing history and our heritage forward.
One of my mottos is that “Etiquette & Decorum is a company that cares with a vision that scales”, and by that, I mean that direction is more important than speed and that caring for everything we do in our work is also what makes us successful.
What is the main thing that needs to change to improve entry into your field of work, including opportunities for development and the day-to-day life of women at work?
My previous work experience in Oil and Gas trading has inspired a lot of my work in Business Etiquette and Cross-culture Management. Now, having stepped out of my comfort zone myself and become an entrepreneur I can say that knowledge is invaluable and the world needs different kinds of minds to work together. This begins in childhood; showing children interesting things, different things, and explaining them the history that you don’t always find in books is essential to develop their creativity and critical thinking. To those who say that education is expensive I say that ignorance is a lot more expensive and dangerous. If we fail to learn from our mistakes we will only repeat them. One of my favourite quotes in one by George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”, very simple and very powerful. You can be a warrior or a worrier; I choose to be an elegant and educated warrior. I choose the power to say no to ignorance and to be informed. So, the main thing that needs to change is the lack of awareness and respect. I often say, “update your knowledge and upgrade your skills”, develop your soft skills so you can take responsibility and respond with ability. Education and communication are the key to success and to equality, and every day should be an occasion to be kind, work with others, and challenge ourselves to do even better. I would also say to stay grounded, no matter how successful you get, and be thankful of your super powers!
Tell us about a woman you admire and how she’s inspired you to become who you are today?
There are many women I admire from working mothers to women entrepreneurs, and I love to discover more of these incredible women through our book clubs with SheCanHeCan.
The power they have to make the world go round and the impact they have on society is tremendous.
My mother is the main reason I am who I am today. Our journey in life is completely different but she inspires my work and inspires me to be my best version of me. I dare to be different, I embrace tradition in modern times, I am inspired by people and who have a positive social impact, and I am in awe of humanity. I have great admiration for Oprah Winfrey. What she has come to do in this world is huge. She is an incredible soul, she has certainly seized the moment, her work and the impact she has had on so many will be her legacy. Her work and her words inspire me – big time.
Monaco launches bidding process for new waste treatment plant
The bidding process has begun for a new waste treatment centre to be established in the Principality. During the launch, the government said it wants Monaco to have a technologically-advanced centre that will fit in with the constraints of the Principality.
The Government Advisor-Minister of Equipment, Environment and Urban Planning Marie-Pierre Gramaglia made the announcement on Tuesday 12thMarch, launching the tender process for the creation of a treatment and recovery centre for non-recyclable waste. “The goal is to have by 2026 an exemplary centre in terms of environmental impact, showcasing innovative technological solutions, while adapting to certain constraints such as site and urban environment,” said Marie -Pierre Gramaglia.
By the end of March, an official call for technological proposals will be published internationally. At the end of this first phase in July, three to five companies will be selected.
According to the government, they will have to meet the following criteria:
Minimise the environmental impacts of the project, including noise pollution and impacts on residents;
Fully control industrial risks and optimise the safety of facilities for staff, visitors and residents;
Prioritise the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in line with the objectives of the Kyoto Protocol.
Phase 2 is estimated to last about one year and will require the manufacturers to put together a complete team including an operator, contractors and financial partners.
Following negotiations with the Monegasque State, the final choice will be announced by mid-2020.
To support the endeavour, the Department of Urban Planning (DAU), in coordination with the Environment Directorate, has formed a multidisciplinary team. “The urban aspect is very important in this project because of the entry into Monaco by the basse corniche, a particularly significant architectural design will be required for this new treatment centre,” said Gramaglia.
The project is estimated to take four years to build, aiming for delivery in 2026, and the contract of operation will be 20 years.
Monaco produces 37,000 tonnes of waste a year. In addition to the treatment plant, there will also be a dump providing selective sorting and the possibility to donate items that can be reused.
Europe is the latest to ban Boeing 737 Max 8 flights in its airspace following Sunday’s Ethiopian Airlines tragedy. It comes after France, Germany and Britain all announced national prohibitions.
The Boeing 737 Max 8 is a medium-haul aircraft
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said it would be grounding all flights involving the plane, widening a prohibition to all EU member states.
France’s DGAC aviation agency had already stopped all such flights through its airspace on Tuesday. They were one of a number of European countries to make the move.
“Given the circumstances of the accident in Ethiopia, the French authorities have taken the decision, as a precautionary measure, to ban all commercial flights of Boeing 737 Maxs into, out of, or over French territory,” the DGAC authority said.
A wave of countries across the globe have taken the same measures, including Australia, India, China and Singapore.
It comes after an Ethopian Airlines plane crashed on Sunday, killing 157 people on board. It was the second fatal accident involving a 737 Max 8 model in less than five months.
The EASA noted that the “exact causes” of a crash of a 737 MAX aircraft operated by Indonesian airline Lion Air in October, in which 189 lives were lost, were still being investigated. “Since that action, another fatal accident occurred,” EASA said, referring to Sunday’s crash.
Boeing said it had been working to enhance flight control software that would be deployed across the 737 Max fleet in the coming weeks.
The victims killed in Sunday’s Ethiopian tragedy came from more than 30 different nations, and included nearly two dozen United Nations staff bound for Nairobi, the venue this week of a UN conference.
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