2010 NEA Opera Honors Recipients Announced

At today's meeting of the National Council on the Arts, the NEA's advisory body, NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman announced the recipients of the 2010 NEA Opera Honors: soprano Martina Arroyo, general director David DiChiera, composer Philip Glass, and music director Eve Queler.

Now in its third year, the NEA Opera Honors is the highest award our nation bestows in opera. This year, the awards will be presented at an award ceremony and concert produced by the Washington National Opera on Friday, October 22, 2010 at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. The evening will feature video tributes to each honoree created and produced by OPERA America. Admission will be free, but tickets will be required. Ticket information will be made available on Monday, September 20, 2010 at arts.gov

Chairman Landesman said, "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. Their works of art have delighted and challenged us, illuminated our sense of the world, and refreshed our understanding of what is possible."

NEA Director of Music and Opera Wayne S. Brown said, "This class of NEA Opera Honorees is four outstanding individuals, who together represent the finest traditions of opera. Without their artistic accomplishments, the world of American opera would be far less extraordinary."

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 varied 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 being 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.

These four honorees will 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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