Jonas Kaufmann Made a Knight of France's Légion d'Honneur

The German tenor received the honor at a ceremony earlier this month

Tenor Jonas Kaufmann has been made a Chevalier (Knight) of France's prestigious Légion d'Honneur, and was honored by the French Ambassador to Austria at a ceremony on January 12, 2024. The award acknowledges a minimum of 25 years of professional activity with "eminent merits," and entry is limited to a certain number at any one time.

A native of Munich, Kaufmann is one of the world's best-known tenors and has performed over 70 roles in the world’s leading opera houses. He is just as much in demand internationally in Italian and French repertoire as he is in his native language of German.

In the 2022/23 season, his appearances included the title role in Peter Grimes and Dick Johnson in La Fanciulla del West at the Bayerische Staatsoper, the title role in Andrea Chenier at the Wiener Staatsoper and Teatro alla Scala, Cavaradossi in Tosca at the Opernhaus Zürich, Radames in Aida at the Wiener Staatsoper, his role debut as Tannhäuser at the Salzburger Osterfestspiele, Siegmund in Die Walküre at the Teatro San Carlo and the title role in Werther at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.

"[I thank] the French government for this honor and for highlighting the importance of culture as a unifying force and an international language," Kaufmann said. "May we all appreciate and recognize our similarities and celebrate our differences rather than bringing them into conflict."

Ambassador Gilles Pécout commented on the "indescribable emotion of presenting in the name of the President of the Republic the insignia of Knight of the Legion of Honor to the great tenor Jonas Kaufmann in the presence of his artist guests, the Embassy of Germany and Austrian authorities."

"Opera at the heart of our cultural diplomacy," he added.