One year after his death, a series of programs commemorating Luciano Pavarotti will be held around the world, including a concert scheduled at the historical site of Petra, Jordan on October 11 and 12, 2008.

According to the Associated Press, the Petra concert will host some of the biggest names in music will take part in a charity concert “Pavarotti and Friends,” including Elton John, Bono, Celine Dion, Joe Cocker and Sting — all of whom have duetted with Pavarotti.

The tribute is the brainchild of Nicoletta Mantovani, Pavarotti’s widow and HRH Princess Haya, a fellow UN Messenger of Peace and daughter of Jordan’s late King Hussein. “A concert in Petra was a dream once shared by the late King Hussein of Jordan and Luciano,” said Mantovani. “I am so grateful to Her Royal Highness Princess Haya, for making it possible to turn this dream into a reality.”

The proceeds of the concert will support joint projects in Afghanistan by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP). A local charity supporting disabled children in Petra will also benefit from the concert.

For over ten years, until his death in September 2007, Maestro Pavarotti actively supported UNHCR projects in Kosovo, Pakistan, Zambia, and Iraq. For his continuous commitment to refugee causes, Luciano Pavarotti received UNHCR’s Nansen Refugee Award and was named a UN Messenger of Peace.

The audience will be limited to 500 spectators, but given the strategies of the recording industry, you can expect a CD of the event as well as a DVD.

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