SAN FRANCISCO -- The Band of the Golden West played for 23 major economies, including the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation and Taiwan Heads of Delegation at the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation’s Welcome Reception, hosted by the President of the United States Joseph R. Biden, Nov. 15.
"Our role was to help demonstrate the strength of our nation as well as rolling out the red carpet for world leaders to welcome them into our country,” said Lt. Col. Cristina Moore Urrutia, Band of the Golden West Commander.
As a direct request from the White House, 61 Airmen kicked off the week-long conference. A ceremonial band welcomed the arriving world leaders outside the Exploratorium in San Francisco, greeting them with music and highlighting their importance as a guest of the United States. Inside the venue, four additional ensembles provided background music and the music for the official indoor program for the 1,200 invited guests, including local, state and national U.S. government officials, and the Golden State Warriors’ head coach, Steve Kerr.
The APEC advances economic policies in the Asia-Pacific region to promote free, fair, and open trade and investment. According to the U.S. Department of State website, through the APEC, the United States has committed to strengthening economic cooperation in this region that represents 40 percent of the world’s population, nearly half of global trade, and over 60 percent of the global economy. The theme of this year’s APEC Economic Leaders’ week was, “Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All.” During his opening remarks, President Biden stressed that his number one goal for the week was collaboration.
"It was a tremendous honor to be able to represent not only our nation but also our Air Force. This opportunity says a lot about the professionalism of our particular group and the Air Force bands as a whole—they can trust us to be able to perform at the highest level," said Moore Urrutia.
To schedule the USAF band, visit https://www.music.af.mil/Request-A-Band/.