British conductor Simon Rattle, whose work at the helm of the Berlin Philharmonic from 2002 to 2018 made him a star in Germany, was honoured with one of the nation’s highest awards on Tuesday. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier bestowed the “highly deserving artist” with the Grand Cross of Merit with Star of the Order of Merit in a ceremony at Bellevue Palace in the German capital. Steinmeier praised the 67-year-old conductor, who also has German citizenship, as an “extremely likeable representative of musical life.” He added, “In person, you are a testimony to the music that you bring …