Haris Alexiou has been honoured with a Premio Galileo award for her lifelong contribution to music. The Premio “Una Vita per la Musica” Giglio d’Oro award is one of the most prestigious awards in Europe to recognise musical legends.

The ceremony took place on Tuesday ( Europe Day) at the Teatro della Pergola in Florence, and the awards were presented by Chairman of the Fondazione Galileo 2000, Alfonso De Virgiliis. According to De Virgiliis, these awards represent the fundamental values of Europe – peace, culture and freedom.

The Premio Galileo awards were established 14 years ago, to recognize major personalities
in Europe in the fields of politics, finance, sciences and arts for their
contribution to their fields. Previous prize winners include Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew I, the ex-president of Poland and Nobel Prize winner, Lech Walesa, Actress Claudia Cardinale, Director Roberto Benigni, Musical Director of Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti, philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy and Japanese Filmmaker Takesi Kitano.