Pavarotti declared honorary citizen of Sarajevo

Tuesday, February 21st 2006, 10:00 am

By: News On 6

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) _ Sarajevo's authorities declared Luciano Pavarotti an honorary citizen because of his support for Bosnia during the war here, city officials announced Tuesday.

``During the war he organized humanitarian concerts ... and established a music academy in Mostar,'' said Josip Jurisic, Sarajevo's deputy mayor.

The award will be presented to the 70-year-old tenor in April, when he will hold a concert in Sarajevo.

Pavarotti and U2 lead singer Bono were heavily involved in collecting humanitarian aid during Bosnia's 1992-95 war.

After the war, Pavarotti financed and established the Pavarotti Music Center in the southern city of Mostar to offer Bosnia's artists the opportunity to develop their skills and experts to perform music therapy with children traumatized by the war.