Conductor Bělohlávek named Commander of the British Empire

Czech conductor Jiří Bělohlávek received the Order of the British Empire on Monday. At a ceremony at the UK embassy in Prague, the chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra was praised for his promotion of Czech and British music abroad and received the honorary rank of Commander. The honour comes as Bělohlávek, who is 66, prepares to leave the BBC orchestra in order to head the Czech Philharmonic from September.