The White House has formally announced that President Barack Obama will award world-renowned soprano Renée Fleming the 2012 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal.
The medal ceremony will take place on July 10, 2013.
In a statement released by White House officials, Renée Fleming is being honored "for her contributions to American music."
"Known to many as 'the people's diva,' Ms. Fleming has captivated audiences around the world with an adventurous repertoire spanning opera and the classical tradition to jazz and contemporary pop," the statement read further.
As Classicalite reported back in April, Fleming's latest laurel follows closely after her meeting with the U.N. High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser.
The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government.
Extending its work through partnerships with other federal programs, state arts agencies, local leaders and the philanthropic sector, the NEA supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy and other areas of the humanities by funding peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation.
To date, the National Endowment for the Arts has awarded more than $4 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and five territories.
