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THE PRESIDENT AND MRS. CLINTON HONOR HIS EXCELLENCY
THE PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN AND MRS. OBUCHI
AT A WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL DINNER

WASHINGTON, DC - - The President and Mrs. Clinton are hosting Prime Minister and Mrs. Obuchi at a White House Official Dinner on Monday, May 3, 1999. Prime Minister and Mrs. Obuchi will arrive at the North Portico at 7:15 p.m.

Guests will be received by the President and Mrs. Clinton, and Prime Minister and Mrs. Obuchi, in the Cross Hall of the White House. Following the receiving line, the President and Mrs. Clinton will escort Prime Minister and Mrs. Prodi to the Pavilion on the lower South Grounds of the White House for dinner.

The tables in the Pavilion will be set with gold base plates; cream china with a gold band will be used for service. The table settings will sit on dark celadon table cloths with green satin stripes. Crystal bowls filled with a floating candle and gardenias surrounded by lush spring flowers, including lavender lilacs white peonies, freesia, and ginestra, create each table's centerpiece.

Guests will be entertained in the Pavilion after the dinner by renowned concert pianist Van Cliburn.

 


OFFICIAL DINNER MENU
May 3, 1999


MENU

Ginger and Black Bean Marinated Salmon
with Jasmine rice
Chilled Zucchini and Green Pea Soup

Herbed Lamb Rack over New Potatoes
and Honshimeji Mushrooms
Spring Vegetable and Roasted Artichoke Sauce

Salad of Green and White Asparagus
Oven Dried Tomatoes and Young Lettuces
Truffle Dressing

DESSERT

“A Bonsai Garden of Serenity”
Almond and Orange Mousse Cake
Kiwi Sauce

WINES

St. Clement Chardonnay “Abbots” 1997
Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon “Monte Bello” 1991
Iron Horse “Millennium Cuvee” 1994

OFFICIAL DINNER ENTERTAINMENT:

Van Cliburn

The world renowned concert pianist, Van Cliburn, was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. He studied piano with his mother for nearly fifteen years before entering The Juilliard School of Music at age seventeen. Already a gifted performer, the young Cliburn skyrocketed to fame in 1958, when he won the First International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. That sensational victory immediately made front-page news around the world, and the triumph was celebrated by a ticker-tape parade in New York City, the only such honor ever given to a classical musician. For the next two decades, Mr. Cliburn remained at the forefront of his contemporaries, performing with virtually every major orchestra and conductor in the great concert halls around the world.

In 1989, following an extended sabbatical, Van Cliburn reemerged onto the concert stage in a series of highly publicized performances. In the last decade, he has led a rigorous schedule of recording sessions, television appearances and concert tours around the world, including a series of concerts in Japan.

Over the course of his career, Van Cliburn has consistently recognized the need to nurture the careers of aspiring young artists. In 1962, at the height of his career, he established the Van Cliburn International Piano, a living legacy to his commitment to aid in the development of young artists. He has also provided scholarships to music schools around the world.

Van Cliburn has graced the stage at he White House for every President since Harry Truman and it is with great pride that the President and Mrs. Clinton honor him tonight as a true American treasure.

 





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State and Official Dinners

The Clintons Honor His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, and Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Meryem (6/20/2000)

The Clintons Honor His Excellency Thabo Mbeki, President of the Republic of South Africa, and Mrs. Mbeki (5/22/2000)

The Clintons Honor Their Majesties King Juan Carlos I of Spain and Queen Sofia (2/23/2000)

The Clintons' Honor His Excellency the President of the Republic of Hungary and Mrs. Göncz (6/8/1999)

The Clintons Honor His Excellency Keizo Obuchi, Prime Minister of Japan, and Mrs. Obuchi (5/3/1999)

The Clintons Honor His Excellency Zhu Rongji, Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, and Madame Lao An (4/8/1999)

The Clintons Honor His Excellency Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, President of the Republic of Ghana, and Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings (2/24/1999)

The Clintons Honor His Excellency Carlos Saul Menem, President of the Argentine Nation (1/11/1999)

The Clintons Honor His Excellency Andres Pastrana, President of the Republic of Colombia, and Mrs. Pastrana (10/28/1998)

The Clintons Honor His Excellency Vaclav Havel, President of the Czech Republic, and Mrs. Havlova (9/16/1998)

The Clintons Honor His Excellency Kim Dae-jung, President of the Republic of Korea, and Mrs. Dae-Jung (6/9/1998)

The Clintons Honor The Honorable Professor Romano Prodi, President of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Italy, and Mrs. Prodi (5/6/1998)

The Clintons Honor The Right Honorable Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Mrs. Blair (2/5/1998)

The Clintons Honor His Excellency Jiang Zemin, President of the People's Republic of China, and Madame Wang Yeping (10/29/1997)