Mumbai-born maestro conductor Zubin Mehta, will be among five artists of the Kennedy Center Honours of 2006 for their lifetime of contributions to the arts and American culture, announced by The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
He will have the distinction of being the first Indian American to be bestowed this recognition since the inception of these honours in 1978.
The Kennedy Center has often boasted that these Honours have redefined America's perception of its artistic legacy and reinvented the way the nation rewards its artists, and they have been compared to a knighthood in Britain, or the French Legion of Honour - the quintessential reward for a lifetime's endeavor.
The others who will receive the 2006 Honours are musical theater composer and producer Andrew Lloyd Webber, who counts among his credits, Bombay Dreams; country singer and songwriter Dolly Parton; singer,songwriter and producer Smokey Robinson; and film director and producer Steven Spielberg.
The 2006 Honourees will be saluted by stars from the world of the performing arts at a gala performance in the Kennedy Center's Opera House on December 3, to be attended by President George W Bush and First Lady Laura Bush and by artists from around the globe.
The annual Honours Gala is considered the highlight of the Washington cultural year and the Kennedy Center's most important annual fundraising event, supporting its performing arts, education, and outreach programs.
Prior to the gala performance, the President and Mrs Bush will receive the honourees and members of the Artists Committee, who nominate them, along with the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees at the White House.
The Honours, however will be bestowed the night before the gala on December 2, at a State Department dinner, hosted by the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Kennedy Center chairman Stephen A Schwarzman in announcing this year's Honourees, said, "This year we honor five extraordinary international artists whose abundant contributions to their fields are remarkable."
"They have transformed the culture of our country and of the world," he said, noting that, "Andrew Lloyd Webber has led a seismic change in our musical theater becoming the most popular theater composer in the world; conductor Zubin Mehta's profound artistry and devotion to music make him a world treasure; Dolly Parton's creativity and spirit make her country music's best international ambassador; Smokey Robinson's song and voice have created the soundtrack for the lives of a generation of Americans; and Steven Spielberg's films make him one of the most successful and accomplished directors of all time."
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