President Barack Obama

White House East Room

Van Cliburn for his contributions as one of the greatest pianists in the history of music and a persuasive ambassador for American culture. Since his historic 1958 victory at the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Mr. Cliburn has reached across political frontiers with the universal message of beautiful music.

President Obama awarded a 2010 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal to Van Cliburn for his contributions as one of the greatest pianists in the history of music. President Obama awarded the 2010 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal to 20 honorees in the East Room of the White House on March 2, 2011 in Washington DC. The citation read “The 2010 National Medal of Arts to Van Cliburn for his contributions as one of the greatest pianists in the history of music, and as a persuasive ambassador for American culture. Since his historic 1958 victory at the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Mr. Cliburn has reached across political frontiers with the universal message of beautiful music." (Photo by Jeff Malet)

Van Cliburn, the world-renown pianist who broke into the international scene in 1958 by winning the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.

Van Cliburn

President Barack Obama awarded a 2010 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal to Van Cliburn for his contributions as one of the greatest pianists in the history of music. President Obama awarded the 2010 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal to 20 honorees in the East Room of the White House on March 2, 2011 in Washington DC. The citation read “The 2010 National Medal of Arts to Van Cliburn for his contributions as one of the greatest pianists in the history of music, and as a persuasive ambassador for American culture. Since his historic 1958 victory at the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Mr. Cliburn has reached across political frontiers with the universal message of beautiful music." (Photo by Jeff Malet)

President Barack Obama awarded a 2010 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal to Van Cliburn for his contributions as one of the greatest pianists in the history of music. President Obama awarded the 2010 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal to 20 honorees in the East Room of the White House on March 2, 2011 in Washington DC. The citation read “The 2010 National Medal of Arts to Van Cliburn for his contributions as one of the greatest pianists in the history of music, and as a persuasive ambassador for American culture. Since his historic 1958 victory at the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Mr. Cliburn has reached across political frontiers with the universal message of beautiful music." (Photo by Jeff Malet)

President Barack Obama awarded a 2010 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal to Van Cliburn for his contributions as one of the greatest pianists in the history of music. President Obama awarded the 2010 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal to 20 honorees in the East Room of the White House on March 2, 2011 in Washington DC. The citation read “The 2010 National Medal of Arts to Van Cliburn for his contributions as one of the greatest pianists in the history of music, and as a persuasive ambassador for American culture. Since his historic 1958 victory at the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Mr. Cliburn has reached across political frontiers with the universal message of beautiful music." (Photo by Jeff Malet)

Robert Brustein, theatre critic, producer, playwright, and founder of the Yale Repertory Theatre and the American Repertory Theatre.

Robert Brustein, theatre critic, producer, playwright, and founder of the Yale Repertory Theatre and the American Repertory Theatre.

Donald Hall, the poet laureate of the United States from 2006 to 2007

Ella Baff, Executive Director of Jacob's Pillow Dance Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival at 78 is the longest running dance festival in America. Each summer the Berkshires in Massachusetts come alive with over 150 dance performances, some of which are free.

Quincy Jones for his extraordinary contributions to American music as a musician, composer, record producer, and arranger. As a master inventor of musical hybrids, he has mixed pop, soul, hip-hop, jazz, classical, African, and Brazilian music into many dazzling fusions, traversing virtually every medium, including records, live performances, movies, and television.

Quincy Jones

Quincy Jones

Sonny Rollins is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St. Thomas", "Oleo", "Doxy", and "Airegin", have become jazz standards.

Sonny Rollins is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St. Thomas", "Oleo", "Doxy", and "Airegin", have become jazz standards.

President Barack Obama

Michele Obama

James Taylor The 2010 National Medal of Arts to James Taylor for his remarkable contributions to American music. His distinctive voice and masterful guitar playing are among the most recognized in popular music and his expansive catalogue of songs has had a profound influence on songwriters and music lovers from all walks of life.

James Taylor The 2010 National Medal of Arts to James Taylor for his remarkable contributions to American music. His distinctive voice and masterful guitar playing are among the most recognized in popular music and his expansive catalogue of songs has had a profound influence on songwriters and music lovers from all walks of life.

Accepting for Jacques Barzun, Marguerite Barzun. The 2010 National Humanities Medal to Jacques Barzun for his distinguished career as a scholar, educator, and public intellectual. One of the leaders in the field of cultural history, Dr. Barzun’s decades of teaching and dozens of books have engaged countless readers across our nation.

Wendell E. Berry, poet and conservationist and author of more than 40 books

Roberto Gonzalez Echevarria, scholar and literary critic

Stanley Nider Katz, president of the American Council of Learned Societies