German conductor and pianist Justus Frantz traveled to Moscow this week to receive the Order of Friendship from Russian President Vladimir Putin, prompting calls in Berlin for his German state honors to be revoked.
During the 4 November ceremony in the Kremlin, Putin said that Frantz "has for many years conducted fruitful activities in bringing together and mutually enriching the cultures of Russia and Germany," according to DW.
The 81-year-old conductor responded in Russian, telling Putin: "All my life I wanted to play Russian music and work for your culture."
Roland Theis, a member of the German parliament from the Christian Democratic Union, called on German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to cancel Frantz's Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. "Anyone who aligns themselves with a dictator whose, until now, hybrid military aggressions are directed against our country, can no longer be a bearer of the Federal Order of Merit," Theis told Politico.
Frantz is considered one of the leading figures in German classical music. In 1986, he created the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, turning it into one of the largest forums for classical music.
The musician has faced criticism for supporting the annexation of Crimea. In 2023, he was removed from the festival due to close ties with Russia, Deutsche Welle reports. Frantz gave concerts in Crimea and served on the jury of the Tchaikovsky Competition after Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine.
In February 2023, Frantz signed the controversial "Manifesto for Peace," an online petition by left-wing politician Sahra Wagenknecht calling for negotiations with Russia, according to Politico.
According to his website, Frantz has performed with the Berlin, New York and Vienna philharmonic orchestras, as well as the London Symphony Orchestra.
Since Russia's full scale invasion in 2022, cultural institutions across Europe and North America have canceled performances of Russian works and suspended collaborations with Russian artists who support the Kremlin. The Metropolitan Opera terminated contracts with Russian performers who refused to denounce the war, while major European festivals excluded Russian state-affiliated ensembles and musicians who maintained ties to Putin's government.
However, some Western cultural figures continue to maintain ties with Russia despite the war. Frantz is among a small group of musicians and artists who have defended Russian culture and appeared at events in Russia or Russian-occupied territories.
