Riccardo Muti has received the Great Gold Medal of Honor for services to the Austrian Republic.

The 80-year-old conductor received the medal following a concert performance of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis on August 16 with the Wiener Philharmoniker.

Muti has conducted 270 times at the festival, more than any other conductor in it’s history except Herbert von Karajan.

While the conductor was handed the Medal, Festival President Helga Rabl-Stadler called him an “impressive constant in a cultural scene threatened by superficial events.”

The August 16 performance was streamed live on Arte.tv and starred Ildar Abdrazakov, Dmitry Korchak, Alisa Kolosova, and Rosa Feola.

Muti has conducted several operatic productions and concerts at the Salzburg Festival including recent productions of “Otello,” “Aida,” and “Macbeth.”