Conductor Seiji Ozawa has received the Global Citizen Award from a U.S. public policy group for his "inspirational and historic contributions to the arts."
Receiving the prize "is very nice, not only for me but for classical music, orchestral music and opera," Ozawa said in a video message at the award ceremony Thursday in New York, which the 78-year-old did not attend due to health issues.
The Washington-based Atlantic Council bestowed the fourth annual prize on Ozawa for his "musical virtuosity" and educational initiatives, such as founding the Seiji Ozawa International Academy Switzerland in 2005.