(Credit: Olivia Renaud)

Jonas Kaufmann has been awarded the Ordre de la Légion d’honneur.

The tenor received the honor on Jan. 12, 2024 in the residence of the French Embassy in Austria by the Ambassador of the Republic of France, Prof. Dr. Gilles Pécout. Kaufmann received the rank of Knight.

In his speech, Pécout said: “France honors a master of his craft who gives the French repertoire an important place on the world’s stages and is beloved by his French audience, who follow him enthusiastically to the world’s great concert halls. (…) It is a great pleasure for me to emphasize the importance of the relationship between Austria, Germany and France by honoring this singer.”

Kaufmann is set to go on tour next month performing “The Sound of Movies” in Naples, Prague, and Baden-Baden, among others.