The International Mendelssohn Prize of Leipzig will be awarded this year to former German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and musician and composer Jörg Widmann . The Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Foundation announced this on Wednesday in Leipzig. The non-monetary awards in the categories of "Europe" and "Music" will be presented on November 1st at the Leipzig Gewandhaus.

Angela Merkel, Jörg Widmann

The foundation honored the former Chancellor "for her exceptional contributions to the unification and integration of Europe and its cohesion as a community of peace and shared values," it stated. "Furthermore, Merkel advocated for overcoming the East-West division of Europe in light of the experiences of German reunification. She was always guided by the humanistic ideals also championed by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and by her profound faith in humanity, reason, and culture."

With this award, Widmann is honored as an internationally successful clarinetist, conductor, and composer for his impressive versatility and outstanding artistic achievements. Leading orchestras both in Germany and abroad have premiered his compositions and included them in their concert repertoire. As a soloist and conductor, Widmann regularly performs works by Mendelssohn Bartholdy. In 2016, he composed a paraphrase of Mendelssohn's Wedding March from "A Midsummer Night's Dream." He is also deeply committed to fostering young musical and compositional talent, most recently at the Barenboim-Said Academy in Berlin.

Awarded since 2007, the Mendelssohn Foundation's prize honors individuals who have made significant contributions in the spirit of Mendelssohn's artistic and social legacy. The prize's namesake was not only an internationally influential composer and conductor, but also dedicated himself to painting, poetry, and classical antiquity. Furthermore, he championed the social recognition of musicians as a profession. Previous recipients include Kurt Masur, Richard von Weizsäcker, Thomas Hampson, Harald Schmidt, Marcel Reich-Ranicki, Iris Berben, and most recently, Elena Bashkirova and W. Michael Blumenthal.

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