DRESDEN/BRUSSELS.- Dresden/Brussels. The Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden is to be awarded the first "European Prize for the Preservation of the World's Musical Heritage". The award ceremony will take place in Brussels on 26th April 2007, during an official gala concert in the Palais des Beaux-Arts (Bozar) which the Staatskapelle is giving to mark the German presidency of the Council of the European Union. The President of the European Parliament, Prof. Hans-Gert Pöttering, will speak before handing over the official certificate to the Board of the Staatskapelle.

The Staatskapelle was chosen some months ago from among numerous top German orchestras to perform at the gala evening. Organised by the international charity Association Femmes d'Europe, the concert's patron is the German Ambassador H. E. Dr. Wilhelm Schönfelder. Conductor Laureate of the Staatskapelle Sir Colin Davis will conduct, and the evening's soloist is the Polish-Danish violinist Nikolaj Znaider.

With this prize the European Culture Foundation honours the Sächsische Staatskapelle's exceptional standing as an orchestra which has contributed greatly to European musical culture. For over 460 years it has continued not only to nurture and maintain its unmistakable sound, but also enrich the orchestral repertoire by premiering new works of international importance. Managing Director Jan Nast: "We are very happy and proud to accept this unique prize, and in so doing preserve one world cultural heritage title for Dresden. This honour, in front of such a highly distinguished audience, only underlines once more the unique position held by the Staatskapelle on the world stage".

The prize certificate states: "We hereby honour a continuing historic heritage stretching back four hundred and sixty years as an ambassador of Europe's musical culture throughout the world. Also we recognise the distinctive orchestral sound cultivated by the Staatskapelle, as well as the unique tradition of premiering new works in collaboration with great composers of the age".