Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa, American rock band the Eagles and Star Wars filmmaker George Lucas are among the six recipients of this year's awards for lifetime contributions to American culture from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C, the center said Wednesday.
Singer-songwriter Carole King, actress and singer Rita Moreno and actress Cicely Tyson are the other three honorees who will be received by President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at a Dec. 5 gala at the center.
On Ozawa, 79, Kennedy Center Chairman David Rubenstein said in a statement that his "artistic leadership as a conductor has set a new standard for orchestras around the world."
Ozawa was music director of the Boston Symphony, one of the leading orchestras in the country, for 29 years until 2002. He has also performed with other orchestras around the world and devoted himself to teaching to young musicians.
