Sir Simon Rattle has been awarded the Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art.

Minister-President Markus Söder (CSU) said that Rattle was one of the most important artists of our time and added, “He has shaped the music scene for decades through excellence and the promotion of young talent, and with his boundless energy, he is both a pacesetter and an interpreter.”

The prize is the highest award given by the state of Bavaria and has been awarded to such luminaries as Jonas Kaufmann, Julia Fischer, Jörg Widmann, Christian Gerhaher, and Mariss Jansons, as well as Richard Wagner and Johannes Brahms.

Rattle has been at the helm of such orchestras as the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Berliner Philharmoniker, London Symphony Orchestra, and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.

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