Countertenor Andreas Scholl and pianist Tamar Halperin have been awarded Germany’s Federal Cross of Merit.

Regarding the award, the president said, “Pianist Tamar Halperin and countertenor Andreas Scholl are celebrated on concert stages around the world. And they are among the most experimental artists in the music world. Their repertoire ranges from baroque to contemporary, but also includes jazz and pop. With the unifying power of their music, the German-Israeli couple brings people of diverse backgrounds together. They also build interpersonal bridges through their diverse civic engagement. Andreas Scholl is a member of the local council in his hometown of Kiedrich. He was also one of the first musicians to perform in Kyiv in 2024 and even gave a masterclass in the bunkers there. The two regularly organize benefit concerts and are involved in social projects – because, as Tamar Halperin and Andreas Scholl say, human interaction is at least as important as a career.”

Scholl has performed at some of the leading theaters in the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Danish Opera, Paris Opera, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Salzburger Festspiele, and Glyndebourne Festival Opera.

Halerpin is an Israeli harpsichordist, pianist, and musicologist who has played Baroque music in historically informed performance, but also classical repertory and jazz with a big band.