Université de Montréal awards honorary doctorate to Rafael Payare

Sep 15, 2023

On September 14, Université de Montreal chancellor Frantz Saintellemy and rector Daniel Jutras presented Rafael Payare with an Honorary Doctorate.

Jutras shared “We are proud that the first honorary doctorate awarded to Rafael Payare bears the seal of Université of Montréal,” continuing “In the short time he has been at the OSM, he has already won the hearts of Montrealers, and his extraordinary life story is an inspiration to our students.”

Payare was named music director of the OSM in 2021, becoming the ninth conductor to lead the orchestra. UdeM is the first university in the world to award Payare an honorary doctorate.

Payare shared: “Receiving an honorary doctorate from Université de Montréal, the largest French-speaking university in North America, is an honor that fills me with emotion and also a sense of responsibility. In ever-evolving societies facing major challenges, music and education are two fabulous tools that offer new perspectives while building bridges between cultures and nations. Music and education complement and reinforce each other, which is why music should be a right, not a privilege.”