Sigma Alpha Iota

PAN PIPES WintER 2014 sai-natiOnal.ORg 10 s AI Honorary Member Martina Arroyo was one of five performers honored by e John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in December 2013. e 36 th annual celebration was held Dec. 8 and broadcast on CBS on Dec. 29. Arroyo was joined by Herbie Hancock, Billy Joel, Shirley MacLaine, and Carlos Santana. "e Kennedy Center celebrates five extraordinary individuals who have spent their lives elevating the cultural vibrancy of our nation and the world," said Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein. "Martina Arroyo has dazzled the world with her glorious soprano voice and continues to share her artistry with a new generation of opera singers; Herbie Hancock has established himself as one of the most innovative musicians in the world, constantly breaking musical barriers and redefining the art of jazz; Billy Joel's melodies have provided the soundtrack of our lives for over four decades making him one pop music's most prolific and memorable singers and songwriters; the remarkable breadth and range of Shirley MacLaine's acting has le an indelible impression over a nearly 60-year career on stage and screen; from his legendary performance at Woodstock to his sweep at the 2000 Grammys and beyond, Carlos Santana's artistry transcends genres while entertaining millions." e Honors recipients recognized for their lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts — whether in music, dance, theater, opera, motion pictures, or television — are selected by the Executive Committee of the Center's Board of Trustees. e primary criterion in the selection process is excellence. e Honors are not designated by art form or category of artistic achievement; the selection process, over the years, has produced balance among the various arts and artistic disciplines. is year, a revised Honoree selection process included expanded solicitation of recommendations from the general public and an advisory committee made up of artists, past Honorees and Kennedy Center board members. Previous Honors recipients and members of the Center's national artists committee, including SAI Honorary Members Renée Fleming and Leontyne Price, also made recommendations. Kennedy Center President Michael M. Kaiser expressed the Center's continued gratitude to the many individuals involved in the success of the Honors program. "In addition to recognizing some of the world's most treasured artists, the Kennedy Center Honors supports a wide variety of artistic programming, as well as the Center's educational and national outreach efforts." e honorees accepted their medallions Dec. 7, the night before the gala, at a State Department dinner hosted by Secretary of State John Kerry. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama received the Honorees and members of the Artists Committee who nominated them, along with the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, at the White House prior to the gala performance. e 2013 Kennedy Center Honors Gala concluded with a supper dance in the Grand Foyer. Kennedy Center honors Honorary Member Arroyo Honored by Kennedy Center Top, Martina Arroyo performed Lady Macbeth at the Metropolitan Opera in 1972. At right, In 1986, she performed in Turandot in Toledo, Ohio.

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