Beverly Sills to Speak at Wake Forest’s Convocation

Sills will address “The State of the Arts” at 11 a.m. in Wait Chapel. Admission is free and open to the public.

The event marks the beginning of Wake Forest’s Year of the Arts, a year-long celebration of the arts including concerts, a symposium, visiting artists and numerous other special events.

During her brilliant singing career, Sills performed more than 70 operatic roles with all of the world’s major opera companies. She has been general director of the New York City Opera, for which she sang for many years, and served as managing director of the Metropolitan Opera. Sills is currently the chairman of the board of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

An articulate and impassioned champion of public arts funding, Sills has been honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She has served on the President’s Task Force on the Arts and has been a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts.

During convocation, the Donald O. Schoonmaker Prize for Community Service and the Jon Reinhardt Award for Excellence in Teaching will be awarded to Wake Forest faculty members. The Marcellus E. Waddill Excellence in Teaching Awards will recognize outstanding elementary and high school teachers.