Conductor JoAnn Falletta and country songwriter and singer Lee Greenwood have been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve on the National Council on the Arts, the advisory body of the National Endowment for the Arts. The confirmation follows their nomination by President George W. Bush to serve on this advisory body to the Arts Endowment.
"Our new Council members will bring wide-ranging expertise to their role on the National Council on the Arts," said NEA Chairman Dana Gioia. "We welcome their participation and counsel."
JoAnn Falletta serves as the music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Falletta has made more than 100 guest conducting appearances with both international and North American orchestras, from the Orchestra National de Belgique to the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. The recipient of many prestigious conducting awards, Falletta is an ardent champion of contemporary music and has introduced more than 400 works by American composers.
Country music artist Lee Greenwood is best known for his anthemic, crossover single "God Bless the USA," which received the Country Music Association Song of the Year honor in 1985. A Grammy Award winner and multi-platinum entertainer, Greenwood has charted seven number one country music songs, including 1980’s hits "Somebody’s Gonna Love You" and "Dixie Road."
The National Council on the Arts advises the NEA Chairman on programs and policies. Council members review and make recommendations to the Chairman on grant applications, funding program guidelines, and national initiatives. Members are chosen for their widely recognized knowledge of the arts, their expertise or profound interest in the arts, and their established record of distinguished service or achievement in the arts. The Council consists of 14 private citizens and six ex officio Members of Congress.
Council members serve for six-year terms. Falletta will fill a vacant seat on the Council left by Chico Hamilton, acclaimed percussionist, bandleader, and 2004 NEA Jazz Master, who resigned from the Council last year. Falletta will serve the remainder of Hamilton’s term until 2012. Greenwood was confirmed to serve a full six-year term until 2014. He will replace outgoing Council member Mako Fujimura, painter and founder of the International Arts Movement.
For more information on the National Council on the Arts, including biographies of its members, please visit http://www.arts.gov/about/NCA/About_NCA.html