American conductor James Conlon will be awarded the Galileo 2000 Prize from the Foundazione Premio Galileo 2000 in a ceremony to occur June 25, 2008 at the Scuderie Reali della Pace (Royal Stables of Peace) in Florence, Italy. Mr. Conlon will be the twelfth recipient bestowed the music prize titled the Giglio d’Oro (Golden Lily). Past winners include Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti and Daniel Barenboim. The Galileo 2000 Prize, founded in 1996 by Alfonso De Virgiliis with support from the Maggio Musicale
Fiorentino, one of Italy’s oldest and most prominent festivals, is awarded each year to an artist who has made a significant contribution to music, art and peace in Florence.