Chief Conductor of Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Kirill Karabits has been recognized with an Honorary OBE by his Majesty The King for his services to music.

Karabits who is set to bring his 15-year tenure with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra to a close, has been a major champion of symphonic works from Ukraine and Eastern Europe since he took on the position in 2009. Chief among his projects is the “Voices of the East” series which has featured works from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Macedonia, Poland, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine.

“I am deeply grateful to receive this Honorary OBE for the journey I have been privileged to share with the BSO’s musicians and audiences over the past 15 years — I’m deeply proud of what we have achieved together,” Karabits said in an official press statement. “I look forward to celebrating the Voices from the East series with our performances in Bristol, Poole, and London this spring, and to continuing our journey when I become Conductor Laureate & Artistic Director, Voices from the East, later this year.”

Karabits is set to become Conductor Laureate & Artistic Director of the orchestra. The organization will celebrate his tenure through a series of events at Lighthouse, Poole, London’s Southbank Centre, and Bristol Beacon later this season.