President Barack Obama has named composer Stephen Sondheim a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The medals will be presented in a ceremony at The White House Tuesday evening. "I look forward to presenting these 17 distinguished Americans with our nation’s highest civilian honor," says President Obama. "From public servants who helped us meet defining challenges of our time to artists who expanded our imaginations, from leaders who have made our union more perfect to athletes who have inspired millions of fans, these men and women have enriched our lives and helped define our shared experience as Americans."
Congratulations to composer Stephen Sondheim, whom President Barack Obama has named one of the 17 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom this year. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. The medals will be presented in a ceremony at The White House this Tuesday evening, November 24, 2015. You can watch the proceedings live at whitehouse.gov/live.
President Obama said, "I look forward to presenting these 17 distinguished Americans with our nation’s highest civilian honor. From public servants who helped us meet defining challenges of our time to artists who expanded our imaginations, from leaders who have made our union more perfect to athletes who have inspired millions of fans, these men and women have enriched our lives and helped define our shared experience as Americans."
"Stephen Sondheim is one of the country’s most influential theater composers and lyricists," says the White House. "His work has helped define American theater with shows such as Company, West Side Story, Gypsy, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, and Into the Woods. Sondheim has received eight Grammy Awards, eight Tony Awards, an Academy Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Sondheim also founded Young Playwrights, Inc., to develop and promote the work of American playwrights aged 18 and younger."
Stephen Sondheim wasn’t able to attend the ceremony when first named a recipient of the honor in 2014 and so will receive his award at this year's ceremony.
The other recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 are Yogi Berra (posthumous), Bonnie Carroll, Shirley Chisholm (posthumous), Emilio Estefan, Gloria Estefan, Billy Frank, Jr. (posthumous), Lee Hamilton, Katherine G. Johnson, Willie Mays, Senator Barbara Mikulski, Itzhak Perlman, William Ruckelshaus, Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, and Minoru Yasui (posthumous). For more on all of the recipients, visit whitehouse.gov.
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