Joana Mallwitz has been awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The award is given to artists who promote education, cohesion, the arts, and democracy in Germany.

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will award 23 people with the honor on Oct. 9 at the Bellevue Palace.

In a statement, the government said, “She is celebrated for her precise and inspired work on the podiums of audiences around the world. In 2014, Joana Mallwitz took over the Erfurt Theater, the youngest music director in Europe at the time, and in 2018, she took over the Nuremberg State Theatre. She represents the future of classical music with its universal language that unites people. Because Joana Mallwitz not only wants to remove the shyness of classical music from all generations, but she also wants to transmit ‘what can be madness and joy, like a Beethoven symphony.'”

Mallwitz is the Music Director of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin and recently signed a contract with Deutsche Grammophon to become an exclusive artist.