December 18, 2018
PRESIDENTIAL AWARD
Grand Officer, Category F – “Promotion of Culture”
Presidential award for conductor Raymond Janssen, in sign of appreciation for the promotion of Romanian musical creation on various European stages and particularly in the Netherlands, Klaus Iohannis President of Romania, awarded the “Cultural Merit” Order in the rank of Grand Officer, Category F – “Promotion of Culture” to conductor and pianist Raymond Janssen.
Awarded by Romanian President Klaus Johannis
Besides being a conductor, Raymond Janssen is also the initiator of Cadenza European Art Productions. Since 2006 he selects musicians, orchestras and choirs from culturally interesting countries in Central Europe especially Romania and Ukraine. The purpose is to bring these orchestras to the attention of the Dutch concert halls and public. Since 2006, he was successfully in bringing leading foreign orchestras and choirs from these countries to the Netherlands. They performed in well-known Dutch concert halls, including the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and the Doelen in Rotterdam.
Music is a universal language and music connects.
Mutual appreciation
There is a mutual appreciation between the musicians and Raymond. The essence is to connect people across national boundaries through music. In 2017 he even went a step further on the road to connection by forging a triangular band between a Romanian professional choir, a Ukrainian orchestra with a Dutch conductor. A triangular tire that was extremely successful last year with the performances of the Carmina Burana. This success will be continued with the Opera Gala and the Star Wars Suite by John Williams in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam.
Making Romanian cultural qualities visible in the Netherlands in the last 12 years was reason for the Romanian President Klaus Johannes to honor Raymond Janssen for his efforts.
The award has been presented before the start of the first Opera Gala concert in The Concertgebouw Amsterdam on 8 November 2018.
Of course, Raymond is not the only one who has received an award. Our former prime minister Balkenende, Honorary Consul Ben Jager, Former Minister Wim van Eekelen and writer Willem Jan Bos have also received an award.
Raymond has been awarded the highest distinction for culture by President Klaus Ioannis and he is quite proud of this.
Raymond has a number of valuable partners in the Netherlands. Without these partners he could never have fulfilled his mission and he is very grateful for that.
However, it is not the first time that Raymond has been honored. In the past he received, among others, an award from the Ministry of Culture and the Business Award from The Dutch Romanian Network.
