Simon Rattle, Conductor of the Berlin Philharmoniker, on Monday received Germany’s
Federal Cross of Merit at Schloss Bellevue in Berlin from the President of Germany, Horst Köhler.
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Horst Köhler, President of Germany, with Sir Simon Rattle receiving Germany’s Federal Cross of Merit |
With the award, Rattle was honoured for his efforts in the fields of music as well as for his and the Berliner Philharmoniker’s exemplary commitment to their work with young people via the education project Zukunft@BPhil.
Launched in 2002, this project has been made possible by Deutsche Bank, which has been the orchestra’s official partner for many years. It brings classical music into the lives of children and teenagers who are unable to attend concerts due to their social situation.
Rattle has also recently been awarded two other prestigious prizes: the Premio Don Juan de Borbón de la Música 2008, which was presented by Prince Felipe of Spain on 30 September 2009; and the “Gloria Artis” Gold Medal, conferred by the Polish Ministry of Culture.
Rattle received the “Gloria Artis” Gold Medal from Polish Culture Minister Bogdan Zdrojewski at a recent guest performance given by the Berliner Philharmoniker in Warsaw. He was awarded the prize in recognition of his efforts for the work of Polish composers Karol Szymanowski and Witold Lutoslawski.
In addition to the innovative Zukunft@BPhil project, Deutsche Bank has also been the exclusive sponsor of the unique Digital Concert Hall since the beginning of the year. The Digital Concert Hall allows the Berliner Philharmoniker’s concerts to be enjoyed live and in excellent audiovisual quality online.
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