The new Chairman of the United States’ National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), who only came to office on 22 January, has suddenly died. Educator, composer and conductor, Michael Hammond, was appointed late in 2001, but today the NEA's Communications Director Mark Weinberg released the following statement: 'With the deepest regret we announce the death of Michael P Hammond, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. It is a tragic loss for our nation that his tenure has been cut so short. All of us at the NEA had looked forward to his leadership, and we join our colleagues in the arts community in mourning his passing.' Robert L Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts, also mourned Hammond’s sudden passing: 'All of us at Americans for the Arts had been buoyed by his appointment... because of his lifelong devotion to the arts and to arts education... The world of the arts is diminished by his departure but blessed by his lifelong dedication and contribution.'