Austrian Press Agency (APA) (06/04/2009)

Vienna – Neil Shicoff was awarded with the Grand Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria in the Austrian Embassy in Tel Aviv. At a ceremonial reception in the New Israeli Opera following the well-attended performance of Georges Bizet’s “Carmen,“ in which Shicoff sang Don Jose, “numerous high ranking public personalities were present, according to the Embassy‘s press release.

Ambassador Michael Rendi emphasized in his eulogy, “the most important performances and main roles played by the charismatic star tenor Shicoff,“ and that the decoration was given “in honor of his impressive artistic work and his special bond with Austria. Shicoff also emphasized in his acceptance speech that for the last ten years Austria represents the center of his artistic interests and has “filled his artistic work with meaning and substance.“ Awarding here in Israel an Austrian decoration to a Jewish person from Brooklyn now living in Vienna closes the circle by which the Jewish heritage is bound together with Europe’s difficult past in its deep sympathy with Israel.