Arroyo, DiChiera, et al. Honored by NEA

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Opera Honors awards ceremony and concert was held on Friday, October 22, at 7:30 p.m. at the Kennedy Center Opera House, Washington D.C. This year's honorees-soprano Martina Arroyo, general director David DiChiera, composer Philip Glass and music director Eve Queler-were acknowledged for their exceptional contributions to opera in America. Produced in cooperation with Washington National Opera and OPERA America, the NEA Opera Honors awards ceremony and concert was free and open to the public; approximately 2,000 people attended the event. 
 
"On behalf of the NEA, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to this group of stellar artists and thank them for all they have accomplished and shared with us in the course of their careers," stated National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman. Their works of art have delighted and challenged us, illuminated our sense of the world, and refreshed our understanding of what is possible."
 
 
About the Honorees
Martina Arroyo is admired around the world for her operatic roles, oratorio and recital performances, recordings, and also for her commitment to young artist development through the Martina Arroyo Foundation.
 
David DiChiera's career includes important posts in Ohio and California, as well as at the Michigan Opera Theatre, which has played an important role in the cultural and economic vitality of Detroit.
 
Philip Glass has had an unprecedented impact upon the musical and intellectual life of our time, including especially his 20 operas, symphonies, compositions for his own ensemble, and his wide-ranging collaborations.
 
Eve Queler is recognized for her focus on rarely performed operas and for her dedication to emerging singers, which she has brought to her work as music director of the Opera Orchestra of New York.
 
For more information about each honoree, visit www.neaoperahonors.org or refer to the Commemorative Program Book.
 
About the Event
This year's NEA Opera Honors award ceremony and concert opened with a "call to order" by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Welcoming remarks were given by Washington National Opera General Director Plácido Domingo and National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman (both by video), as well as OPERA America President Marc Scorca.
 
Close friends and colleagues lauded the honorees in the free awards ceremony, which included musical performances by some of the world's premier opera artists and video tributes featuring testimonials from luminaries of the opera world. The Washington National Opera Orchestra played the program under the baton of Washington National Opera's new music director, Philippe Auguin.
 
Presenters and performers included:
For Eve Queler: Opera impresario and long-time friend Ira Siff presented the award, and renowned mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick performed "O mon Fernand" from Donizetti's La Favorite. A longtime advocate for rarely performed operas such as La Favorite, Ms. Queler's professional affiliation with Ms. Zajick stretches back two decades.
 
For Philip Glass: The Metropolitan Opera's Artistic Manager Sarah Billinghurst presented the award, and tenor Sean Panikkar performed the Act III conclusion to Mr. Glass' landmark opera Satygraha.
 
For David DiChiera: Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University Executive Director Brett Batterson presented the award. Soprano Leah Partridge and baritone Marian Pop performed the final duet from Dr. DiChiera's opera Cyrano. Ms. Partridge and Mr. Pop originated the roles of Roxane and Cyrano, respectively, at Michigan Opera Theatre in 2007.
 
For Martina Arroyo: Long-time friend and jazz great Paquito D'Rivera presented Ms. Arroyo with the award. Soprano Tamara Wilson, a Verdian soprano like Ms. Arroyo, performed "Ernani, involami," from Verdi's Ernani.
 
Prior to the awards ceremony and concert, the honorees participated in an open panel discussion moderated by NPR's Tom Huizenga in the Kennedy Center Opera House.
 
The NEA (@NEAarts) and Washington National Opera (@dcopera) "live-tweeted" this year's awards ceremony, and invited the audience to do the same. Follow the NEA Opera Honors on Twitter by searching the hash tag #NEAopera to learn more about the event.
 
This year's NEA Opera Honors awards ceremony and concert was recorded by Chicago's WFMT 98.7 FM for delayed broadcast.  The program will be distributed to classical radio outlets nationwide.
 
The NEA Opera Honors awards ceremony and concert was presented to a full-house audience of approximately 2,000. Free tickets were distributed to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis, and were reserved within hours of becoming available in September. More than 1,500 people reserved stand-by passes and many were accommodated on the evening of the event.
 
About the NEA Opera Honors
Now in its third year, the NEA Opera Honors is the highest award our nation bestows in opera. Honorees each receive an award of $25,000 in recognition of their significant lifetime contributions to American opera. NEA Opera Honors recipients are nominated by the public and chosen by an NEA-convened panel of opera experts.  Past honorees are John Adams, Frank Corsaro, Carlisle Floyd, Richard Gaddes, Marilyn Horne, James Levine, Lotfi Mansouri, Leontyne Price, and Julius Rudel.

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