The founder of the Cantiere was awarded from Florence University.
Among the reasons was also the spread of music education in Montepulciano.
The composer created a fruitful encounter between Italy and Germany.

The Univeristy of Florence conferred the honarary degree in Musicology and Musical Heritage to Hans Werner Henze – creator of the Cantiere Internazionale d’Arte in Montepulciano . The ceremony took place at Battilani hall on Friday 4 October 2013 : The award had actually already been given in October 2012, but the German composer, who died a few days later, could not come to receive the award. A year after the artist’s death, the diploma was handed over to Michael Kerstan, heir of Henze, during an event which was strongly supported by a group of German and musicology teachers, who had the
initiative in the first place.

The degree was conferred to Henze “in recognition of his distinguished career as an international musician; for his contribution to innovation of the modern language; for his lesson to spread music teaching between young people, with universally recognized results, for the civil commitment which was a big part of his life and both as
an artist and as a human being.”

Hans Werner Henze achieved the highest recognitions for his extraordinary artistic works, from symphonies, music for theatre, ballet and soundtracks. His figure has emerged throughout the late 20th century because of the amplitude and continuity of his artistic work, his will towards research and experimentation, as well as his intellectual and moral commitment. Henze played an important role in high cultural mediation between Italy and Germany, starting in 1953 when he left his country and moved into ours. In 1976 , at the peak of his artistic maturity, Henze founded the Cantiere Internazionale d’Arte in Montepulciano for production and knowledge of contemporary music, creating in the Tuscan town one of the most fruitful and central meeting point between Italy and Germany , both in the music and literature.