MUMBAI, India, Feb. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Merck, a leading science and technology company, in collaboration with Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan India, the official cultural institute of the Federal Republic of Germany, presented Professor Dr. Lars-Christian Koch with the prestigious sixth Merck-Tagore Award during a celebratory event held at the Royal Opera House in Mumbai.
Prof. Dr. Simon Thelen, Vice Chairman of the Family Board and of the Board of Partners of E. Merck KG, handed over the award to Professor Dr. Lars-Christian Koch, an ethnomusicologist, for his outstanding contribution to intercultural exchange between India and Germany, with a particular focus on the life, music, and legacy of Rabindranath Tagore.
The jury of the sixth edition of the Merck-Tagore Award consisted of Christoph Hallier, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Mumbai; Bjorn Ketels, Director, Goethe-Institut /Max Mueller Bhavan Mumbai; Pratima Reddy, Country Speaker, Merck India and Managing Director, Merck Healthcare in India, and Dr. Martin Kämpchen, the first recipient of the Merck-Tagore Award.
Addressing the crowd, Bjorn Ketels, Director, Goethe-Institut /Max Mueller Bhavan Mumbai, said, “The Merck-Tagore Award represents a long-standing partnership between Merck and the Goethe-Institut, grounded in a shared commitment to fostering meaningful intercultural dialogue. Professor Dr. Lars-Christian Koch’s body of work exemplifies scholarly depth, attentive listening, and a deep respect for cultural memory. Through his sustained engagement with sound, music, and research, he has created bridges across geographies and disciplines, making his contribution to Indo-German cultural exchange both enduring and deeply relevant.”
During his acceptance remarks, Professor Dr. Lars-Christian Koch reflected on Rabindranath Tagore’s enduring influence, noting that the importance of Tagore “remains anchored in life,” and emphasizing that while his own academic and curatorial work has become increasingly global, Tagore’s ideas continue to shape his intellectual and cultural engagement.
Pratima Reddy, Country Speaker, Merck India, added, “At Merck, we believe that meaningful progress is driven by open exchange across cultures and disciplines. The Merck-Tagore Award reflects this belief by recognising outstanding contributions in the humanities that strengthen intercultural understanding. It is our privilege to honour Professor Dr. Lars-Christian Koch for his deep and sustained engagement with India, and for his significant scholarly work on Rabindranath Tagore’s musical and cultural legacy, which continues to foster dialogue between India and Germany.”
About Professor Dr. Lars-Christian Koch, Winner of the Merck-Tagore Award 2025
Professor Dr. Lars-Christian Koch is an internationally renowned ethnomusicologist whose work has significantly strengthened cultural and academic exchange between India and Germany. His engagement with India, and particularly with Rabindranath Tagore, spans several decades.
He was associated with the Tagore Institute in Bonn, founded by musicologist Dr. Trina Purohit-Roy, and later pursued studies in Santiniketan, West Bengal- Tagore’s place of residence, with a special interest in the songs of the Indian poet.
Professor Koch completed his doctoral dissertation at the University of Bonn in 1994 on classical North Indian music, comparing it with the theory of affects in European philosophy. His habilitation in ethnomusicology at the University of Cologne in 2002 marked a return to Tagore’s work and resulted in the publication ‘Die Lieder Rabindranath Tagores zwischen Tradition und Moderne’ (LIT Verlag, Berlin/Münster, 2012). His ethnomusicological research has taken him extensively to India and South Korea, with academic interests spanning North Indian music, instrumental studies, audiovisual media, and music archaeology. He has curated numerous exhibitions and authored a wide range of scholarly essays and books.
Professor Koch is an adjunct professor of ethnomusicology at the University of Cologne, an honorary professor at the Berlin University of the Arts and honorary professor at the Humboldt University Berlin. He holds guest professorships at the University of Chicago and the University Vienna. Since 2018, he has served as Director of the Ethnologisches Museum and the Museum für Asiatische Kunst at Berlin’s Humboldt Forum.
About the Merck-Tagore Award
The Merck-Tagore Award, sponsored by Merck India and granted by the Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan India, was introduced in 2012 to honour the life and work of Rabindranath Tagore. This award is one of four literary prizes sponsored and promoted by Merck on a global basis. It is granted to writers and scholars who have made a special contribution to cultural exchange between Germany and India.
Merck has a historical connection with Rabindranath Tagore. Within the Merck family, Elisabeth Wolff-Merck took on the task of translating Tagore’s theatrical piece ‘Chitra’ from English into German. Her husband, Kurt Wolff, played a pivotal role in publishing Tagore’s works in Germany, contributing significantly to the poet’s recognition and acclaim in this country.
About Goethe-Institut
The Goethe-Institut (known in India as Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan) is the Federal Republic of Germany’s cultural institute, active worldwide. It promotes the study of German abroad and encourages international cultural exchange. The Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan’s main areas of interest are determined in consultation with its Indian cooperation partners from the fields of art, science and media, from NGOs and select companies, with whom it jointly develops appropriate programmes and projects. The Institute’s activities range from film screenings, exhibitions, theatre performances and concerts to workshops and conferences particularly on innovative topics such as digital, AI and media art. The Institute also initiates and organises contacts and research/residency tours for Indian artists, scientists and journalists who wish to go to Germany, thereby supporting them as promoters of culture and paving the way for deeper international and cultural cooperation.
About Merck
Merck, a leading science and technology company, operates across life science, healthcare and electronics. More than 62,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people’s lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From providing products and services that accelerate drug development and manufacturing as well as discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2024, Merck generated sales of € 21.2 billion in 65 countries.
Scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to Merck’s technological and scientific advances. This is how Merck has thrived since its founding in 1668. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck operate as MilliporeSigma in life science, EMD Serono in healthcare, and EMD Electronics in electronics.
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