The phrase "appreciation of excellence" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts where you want to express recognition or admiration for high quality or outstanding performance.
Example: "The award ceremony was a celebration of the appreciation of excellence in the arts and sciences."
Alternatives: "recognition of quality" or "admiration for greatness."
That's what it was like in New York — fierce partisanship, but an appreciation of excellence.
Her generosity, exquisite taste, keen intellect, wit, appreciation of excellence, and impeccable sense of style will be greatly missed.
A supportive and adoring father to Allison, Katharine and Frederick, whose gifts to them were many: carefree summers at Fire Island, self-assurance and an appreciation of excellence.
Novelty of one's own culture should give way to an appreciation of excellence.
While retaining the wintry atmosphere of the film, the small screen intensifies the drama and heightens the viewer's appreciation of the excellence of the performances.
"A fair reading of Harvard's history reveals a process across time in which the College has developed a recognition and appreciation of the excellence that comes only from including and embracing multiple sources of talent," the committee wrote.
Consequently, he argues, in doing so they fail to distinguish "disinterested affection for the person we love" from "appreciation of the excellences instantiated by that person" (p. 33).
In response to the first worry concerning the object of love, Whiting argues that Vlastos offers a false dichotomy: having disinterested affection for someone for her sake rather than my own essentially involves an appreciation of her excellences as such.
Their appreciation and support of excellence in education, the arts, and public policy inspired Penn to strive toward ever greater distinction.
There is something undeniably noble and beautiful about the love of sports: the appreciation of grace and excellence for their own sakes, the pleasure of competition, the discipline of training.
I want them to have a love of learning, an appreciation of beauty and excellence, so having that drive to learn more, they'll go home and want to watch the Discovery Channel like I do, and read a book.
