By: Frank Cadenhead, July 19, 2021
The L\u00e9gion d’Honneur is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. It was created in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte and has been retained by all later French governments and r\u00e9gimes. The seat of the order is the Palais de la L\u00e9gion d’Honneur, just next to the Mus\u00e9e d’Orsay on the left bank of the Seine in Paris. The honors in the field of classical music were numerous this 14th of July and has both new recipients and elevations.
The American-born dancer Carolyn Carlson, whose long and distinguished career in dance and choreography in France made her a member of the highly-select Acad\u00e9mie des Beaux-Arts, now has the title of \u201cCommandeur\u201d next to her name.
Soprano and opera director Natalie Dessay, already a \u201cChevalier\u201d in 2012, was upgraded to \u201cOfficer\u201d as was Raymond Duffaut, former director of the Chor\u00e9gies d’Orange and the Op\u00e9ra d’Avignon. After 12 years at the helm of the orchestra of the Op\u00e9ra de Paris, Philippe Jordan was designated \u201cChevalier,\u201d as was the Romanian soprano Viorica Cortez. The director general of the Op\u00e9ra de Montpellier, Val\u00e9rie Chevalier, now has a repetitive title, \u201cChevalier,\u201d after her name as also the French pianist Marie-Jos\u00e8phe Jude.
<\/p>\n