The 2011 edition of the Baalbeck International Festival was a great success. Despite the political situation which discouraged tourists from spending their summer in Lebanon, the high-quality programme attracted a numerous audience. The festival spread over July and offered a vast diversity of performances. This year, the festival included a live musical with more than 150 participants on stage, a premiere for the Baalbeck International Festival. Thanks to the determination of the Sabbagh brothers and the efforts of the festival’s executive committee, this experience was a success. The Boris Eifman Ballet presented Don Quixote and was unanimously acclaimed by the public and the press. The Gershwin Piano Quartet – four concert grand pianos interpreting contemporary compositors – was another of the highlight of the programme. Through his recital, Abdel Rahman el Bacha impressed the audience with his technical agility. Finally, the festival concluded with a jazz concert with American artists. Thanks to the support of the festival’s partners, sponsors and the State, the Baalbeck International Festival fulfilled its mission once again: to spread a cultural and touristic image of Lebanon in the world. The festival is eager to resist all internal and regional difficulties the country is facing in order to contribute to the formation of a Lebanon that is open to all cultures.