Her Royal Highness Princess Caroline of Hanover presented Arvo Pärt with the Order of Cultural Services of the Principality of Monaco

On 4 May, Her Royal Highness Princess Caroline of Hanover presented composer Arvo Pärt with the Order of Cultural Merit of the Principality of Monaco at the Arvo Pärt Centre. Prince Albert II of Monaco appointed Arvo Pärt Commander of the Order of Cultural Merit of Monaco last November. The award ceremony was held in a small circle, with the President of Estonia, Alar Karis, and his wife present as friends of the Centre. The event was also attended by representatives of the Prince Pierre Foundation of Monaco, members of the composer’s family, the winners of the Prince Pierre Foundation’s Young Audience Prize, composers Erkki-Sven Tüür and Ülo Krigul, renowned interpreters of Arvo Pärt’s music, conductors Tõnu Kaljuste and Jaan-Eik Tulve, composer Helena Tulve and staff of the Arvo Pärt Centre.

“This prestigious distinction celebrates his exceptional achievements and the significant role Arvo Pärt has played in elevating Monaco’s cultural influence on the global stage. It also emphasises his lasting impact on the world of music,” the Prince Pierre Foundation said in a statement in November.

Michael Pärt, Chairman of the Council of the Arvo Pärt Centre and the composer’s son, expressed his gratitude on behalf of his father, saying: “My father is deeply moved by this recognition. Together we express our heartfelt gratitude to His Serene Highness Prince Albert, Her Royal Highness Princess Caroline of Hanover and the Prince Pierre Foundation for this honourable recognition. I am very grateful that the cultural legacy of the Principality of Monaco has found an echo here in Estonia, and we look forward to seeing how these connections can grow in the future.”

Arvo Pärt dedicated his Cantique des degrés to Prince Rainier III of Monaco, commissioned by Her Royal Highness Princess Caroline of Hanover. Last year marked the 25th anniversary of the work’s premiere at the Monaco Cathedral. Arvo Pärt also served as a member of the jury of the Music Council of the Prince Pierre Foundation of Monaco from 2003 to 2011.

The Order of Cultural Merit (Ordre du Mérite Culturel de Monaco) was created on 31 December 1952 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco. It is intended to distinguish, honour and reward individuals who have made a significant contribution to the development of the arts, letters and sciences in Monaco or who have contributed, even from abroad, to the intellectual influence of the Principality in these fields.

Previous recipients of the Order of Cultural Merit in the field of music include the opera singers Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti and the cellist Mstislav Rostropovich.

The award ceremony on 4 May at the Arvo Pärt Centre was followed by a public lecture entitled L’homme vertical (The Vertical Man) by the Spanish-French writer Javier Santiso, in which he presented the spiritual dimension of the work of the French author Christian Bobin. Bobin was awarded the Prince Pierre Foundation Prize for Literature in 2020 for his work.

The lecture, organised by the Prince Pierre Foundation and the Arvo Pärt Centre, was dedicated to Arvo Pärt on the occasion of his 90th birthday. The lecture was honoured by the presence of the President of the Prince Pierre Foundation, HRH Princess Caroline of Hanover.

On the evening of 4 May, the Vox Clamantis ensemble gave a concert entitled Da pacem. Arvo Pärt 90, which featured the works of Arvo Pärt alongside Gregorian chant. The concert included the world premiere of Arvo Pärt’s Prayer to the Holy Trinity, composed in 1976.