U.S. President Barack Obama on Dec. 6 hailed conductor Seiji Ozawa for bridging cultures at a White House reception for recipients of this year's Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime contributions to American culture.
"Seiji has dedicated his life to bridging East and West with classical music," Obama said of Ozawa, the first Japanese recipient of the award, at the event.
Ozawa, 80, was greeted with applause as Obama introduced a quote from the conductor: "Music is easier to understand than language." (Kyodo)
オバマ米大統領は、ワシントンの文化施設ケネディ・センターが優れた芸術家に贈る同センター名誉賞を日本人で初めて受賞した指揮者の小澤征爾さんの功績をたたえた。
The Japan Times ST: December 18, 2015