A very beautiful ceremony took place at the Philharmonie de Paris after a magical concert by Yannick with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Lisa Batiashvili, as part of their European tour. In the presence of Michelle Boisvert, Quebec delegate in Paris, many French personalities connected with music and some members of his family, Yannick Nézet-Séguin received the insignia as Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters of the French Republic which had been awarded to him by the French Minister of Culture Mrs. Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin on July 22, 2021, during the pandemic.