On September 21, 2012, Elliott Carter — one of America's most celebrated and distinguished composers — received the insignia of Commander of The Legion of Honor, the highest honor granted by the French government. The ceremony took place at the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in New York, where Mr. Carter accepted the award from François Delattre, the French Ambassador to the United States.
This distinction is one of the many that Mr. Carter, who turns 104 in December, has enjoyed in his long and prolific career. Past awards include two Pulitzer Prizes, the National Medal of Honor from the United States, the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize from Germany, and the Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, also from France.
