WASHINGTON, DC - - The President and Mrs. Clinton are hosting his Excellency, Andres Pastrana, President of the Republic of Colombia, and Mrs. Pastrana at a White House State Dinner on Wednesday, October 28, 1998. President and Mrs. Pastrana will arrive at the North Portico at 7:15 p.m.

Guests will be received by the President and Mrs. Clinton, and President and Mrs. Pastrana in the Cross Hall of the White House. Following the receiving line, the President and Mrs. Clinton will escort President and Mrs. Pastrana into the East Room for dinner.

The tables in the East Room will be set with Eisenhower gold base plates; the Franklin Delano Roosevelt china will be used for service. Kennedy Morgantown crystal and gold vermeil flatware will be set on cappuccino-colored damask tablecloths. The crystal candelabras and vermeil candelabras will be filled with red charlotte roses, pink snowberries, burgundy hydrangea, and cream gracia florabundas.

Following the dinner, guests will be entertained in the East Room by soprano Ainhoa Arteta, accompanied by pianist Alejandro Zabala. The evening will end with dancing in the State Dining Room to the salsa music of Marc Anthony.

STATE DINNER ENTERTAINMENT IN THE EAST ROOM:

AINHOA ARTETA
Born in the Basque region of Spain, soprano Ainhoa Arteta came to international attention in 1993 when she won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and, only a few weeks later, the Councours International de Voix d'Opera Placido Domingo in Paris. These early successes resulted in engagements with some of the world's most prominent theaters for which she has received great popular and critical acclaim.

Well-known to audiences around the world for performances in such roles as Micaela in Carmen under the baton of James Levin, Olga in a production of Fedora led by Roberto Abbado and Magda in La rodine directed by Marla Domingo, the soprano made her debut with The Washington Opera as Violetta in La traviata. She appears frequently in concert with the opera's Artistic Director, Placido Domingo, including performances in Berlin, Hamburg, Istanbul, Leipzig, Madrid, Paris, Munich, Rio de Janeiro, and San Diego, as well as a gala concert with The Washington Opera celebrating Mr. Domingo's appointment.

Ms. Arteta's 1998-1999 season began with her return to the Metropolitan Opera for performances of Violetta in the new Franco Zeffirelli production of La traviata. Ms. Arteta also adds the role of Musetta in La boheme to her Metropolitan Opera repertoire in this season and returns to the Cincinnati Opera for performances of Marguerite in Faust.

Ms. Arteta resides in New York with her husband, American baritone Dwayne Croft, winner of the 1996 Richard Tucker Foundation Award. The artists met two years ago while performing as guest soloists at a gala ball for the Metropolitan Opera.

ALEJANDRO ZABALA
Pianist Alejandro Zabala completed his musical studies in Madrid, specializing in accompaniment for singers and chamber music. He has participated in various international singing competitions and, for the last fifteen years, has been the official pianist of the Concorsos Internacionales de Canto en Toulouse. His exceptional musical talent has put him in demand of leading artists for prestigious concert engagements around the world. Mr. Zabala is the favored accompanist for artists such as Ileana Cotrubas, Margaret Price, Paolo Gavanelli, Dennis O'Neill, and Ainhoa Arteta.

MARC ANTHONY
Marc Anthony, the number one selling tropical/salsa artist in the world, has taken salsa music to new critical and commercial heights. His multidmensional talents have catapulted him onto both the movie screen and the Broadway stage.

Mr. Anthony's cultural sensibility was formed both by his New York City upbringing and his parents' Puerto Rican roots. The result has been his unique ability to capture in his music an emerging Latino-American consciousness in the urban United States.

As a teenager, he started his career singing back-up vocals for English language "Freestyle" dance music and penning songs for various artists. By age 19, he had performed at Carnegie Hall and it was not long before Mr. Anthony was honored with Billboard's award for "Best New Artist of the Year" and the "Lo Nuestro" and "Ace" awards. In 1996, he was nominated for a Grammy award for his second album, "Todo a Su Tiempo" and in 1997 his third album, "Contra La Coriente," was voted one of Time magazine's "Top Ten Albums of the Year". In October 1997, Mr. Anthony sold out Madison Square Garden, becoming the only salsa performer to ever sell out the venue.

Mr. Anthony is currently recording his first English-language album, which is due out in early 1999. He is also in the midst of acting in his fourth film, Martin Scorsese's "Bringin' Out the Dead," alongside actor Nicholas Cage.

The powerful presence created by Marc Anthony has clearly made him the hero of the current salsa generation and his style is being embraced by fans around the world.

OFFICIAL GIFTS

PRESIDENT CLINTON'S GIFT TO PRESIDENT PASTRANA:
The official gift for President Pastrana from President Clinton on the occasion of his State Visit to Washington, D.C. is a hand-crafted sterling silver cachepot from Tiffany & Co. The piece features an etched border design inspired by a cornice found in the East Room of the White House and an etched floral design taken from the fireplaces in the Green and Red Rooms of the White House. The flower in the center is a dogwood blossom, a tree frequently found in the President's home state of Arkansas. The cachepot was designed exclusively as a gift for President Clinton to present for the State visit. The Presidential Seal is engraved on the bottom of the Tiffany silver piece.

MRS. CLINTON'S GIFT TO MRS. PASTRANA:
The official gift for Mrs. Pastrana from Mrs. Clinton is a Judith Leiber white hand-beaded evening bag.

OFFICIAL DELEGATION GIFT:
The official gift for members of the Colombia delegation is a Tiffany & Co. silver-plated 12" Chippendale tray with an inscription commemorating President Pastrana's State Visit to Washington.

PRESIDENT PASTRANA'S GIFT TO PRESIDENT CLINTON:
President Clinton received from Presidnet Pastrana a small sterling silver dish with the Presidential Seal and signature.

MRS. PASTRANA'S GIFT TO MRS. CLINTON:
Mrs. Clinton received from Mrs. Pastrana a traditional Colombian bowl on a silver base with the Presidential Seal.

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