Charge d’Affaires Michael Scanlan Visits Molodechno

Michael Scanlan is greeted at the Molodechno Central District Library

On October 23, CDA Michael Scanlan visited the Molodechno Central District Library and the Molodechno State Music College.

“We are happy to be able to enrich the Library’s collection with over 370 titles of books and videos and to give free Internet access to the library users for 18 months and to improve technical capabilities by donating 2 computers” said CDA Michael Scanlan at the official ceremony of opening of the “My America” travel photo exhibit and the U.S. Embassy’s donation to the Department of Foreign Literature at Molodechno District Public Library. Over a hundred of library friends including high school and college students and teachers of English participated in the event.  The head of the Library Ms. Strakh, the Head of the District Ideological Department Ms. Shafalovich, and Head of the Cultural Department Ms. Dudich, thanked the U.S. Embassy for the donation and noted the importance of the partnership projects with the Embassy for the region and expressed their willingness to continue cultural cooperation in the future. 

As part of his visit to Molodechno on October 22, Charge d’Affaires Michael Scanlan paid a visit to the Molodechno State Music College named after M. Oginski, where he announced the donation of a collection of 33 titles of American music scores, including choral and vocal music by Barber, Copland, Gershwin and other distinguished American composers.  Over 140 students and faculty gathered in the school’s concert auditorium to give a warm welcome to the CDA and another American guest of honor -- the U.S. conductor and baritone Ira Spaulding.  Mr. Spaulding’s visit to Molodechno was conducted within the framework of a music education outreach program supported by the U.S. Embassy.  Mr. Spaulding gave a spectacular master class, during which he demonstrated his outstanding teaching and performing skills. He also marveled at the speed with which the talented Belarusian students adapted to the American emotional style of singing this old time American jazz song “When The Saints Go Marching In”. The choir members as well as the audience, including Charge d’Affaires Michael Scanlan and College Director Grigory Soroko, enjoyed this unique cultural and educational collaboration. Following the event, Ms. Vera Kokhanovskaya, Head of the Choir Program, noted that the master class had proved to be one of the highlights of the school’s academic life this semester.  The College management expressed sincere gratitude to the U.S. Embassy for the music donation and support of Mr. Spaulding’s visit to Molodechno.