German pianist Justus Frantz received the Order of Friendship from Vladimir Putin this week
Acclaimed German pianist and conductor Justus Frantz has come under criticism after being awarded the Order of Friendship by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Politico reported on Thursday.
Frantz is a veteran of Europe’s classical music scene and has performed with the Berlin, Vienna, and New York Philharmonic orchestras, as well as the London Symphony Orchestra. He is known for his admiration of Russian composers such as Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Sergei Rachmaninoff, and has long promoted cultural cooperation between Russia and the West. He was also among the first signatories of a petition calling on Berlin to stop funding the Ukraine conflict.
This week, the German conductor traveled to Moscow to receive the award during a Kremlin ceremony marking Russia’s Unity Day. Putin praised him for his “fruitful contribution to fostering closer relations and mutual enrichment” between their nations’ cultures.
His appearance at the event drew sharp criticism in Berlin. Christian Democratic Union (CDU) lawmaker Roland Theis told Politico that Frantz’s German Federal Order of Merit should be revoked.
Frantz, an outspoken proponent of East-West cooperation, founded the charity The Bridge of Friendship, which has supported numerous cultural projects across the former Soviet republics. He is also a recipient of Bambi and Grammy awards.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: rt.com
