The Big Easy Foundation has announced 2010 special individual awards and the nominees for achievement in dance, opera and classical musical performance in 2009. Winners will be announced at the 16th annual Tribute to the Classical Arts luncheon on March 9.

  Among the special honorees are Xavier University professor John Ware, Delta Festival Ballet and the New Orleans Piano Institute. Ware will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. He has chaired Xavier's music department since 1995 and is the conductor of the Xavier Concert Choir and Opera Theater. He also conducts and serves as musical director for the New Orleans Black Chorale. His mentoring has helped students enter top graduate programs and go on to professional careers. Delta Festival Ballet is the area's largest resident professional dance company. It is marking its 40th anniversary this year. The Piano Institute is held in conjunction with the annual New Orleans International Piano Competition for Young Artists. It offers intensive study for advanced and intermediate college-level students.

  The Big Easy Foundation created Tribute to the Classical Arts in 1994 to recognize achievement in the arts in the New Orleans area. Proceeds from the event benefit the Foundation for Entertainment Development and Education.

  Awards will be presented Tuesday, March 9, at the Tribute to the Classical Arts luncheon hosted by Angela Hill of WWL-TV. The luncheon at the Monteleone Hotel features performances by nominated musicians and dance groups. The event is sponsored by Gambit, John and Anne Burr, Hall Piano Company, Uptown Costume & Dancewear, Coleman E. Adler & Sons and WWNO 89.9 FM. Tickets are $45. Tables for 10 are available. For information or reservations call Dawn Griffin at 483-3129.

2010 Classical Arts Awards

Special Honorees

Lifetime Achievement Award

John Ware

Arts Education Award

New Orleans Piano Institute

Special Recognition Award

Delta Festival Ballet

Best Classical Music Performance

Schuman Violin Concerto, Tchaikovsky Pathetique, Purely Percussion

Louisiana Philaharmonic Orchestra (LPO)

Carlos Miguel Prieto, Conductor

Mahalia Jackson Theater

Philip Glass Concerto Fantasy for Two Timpanists and Orchestra

LPO

Carlos Miguel Prieto, Conductor

Mahalia Jackson Theater

Marie (Ballet)

New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA), Houston Ballet, LPO

Music by D. Shostakovich

David Briskin, Conductor

Mahalia Jackson Theater

Best Chamber Music Performance

J.S. Bach & Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach

St. Louis Cathedral Concert Season

Paul Goussot, Joseph Meyer, Jaren Philleo

Catholic Cultural Heritage Center, St. Mary's Chapel Old Ursuline Convent

Duo Recital

Jenna Sherry, violin & Prach Boondiskulchok, piano

Tulane University Department of Music, Dixon Hall

Musaica: Benefit Concert for GNOYO

Klauspeter Seibel, Conductor

Loyola University College of Music and Fine Arts

Best Performance of New Classical Music (Contemporary)

Mendelssohn Scottish, Symphony No. 1 "Chimera" by Lera Auerbach

LPO

Klauspeter Seibel, Conductor

First Baptist Church, New Orleans

Casual Classics: Something New, Desi by Michael Daugherty

LPO

Rebecca Miller, Conductor

First Baptist Church, Kenner

Montage Series Trio for Violin, Viola and Cello by William Horne

Faculty Chamber Ensemble, Loyola University

Roussel Hall

Best Opera Production

Romeo et Juliette (Gounod)

New Orleans Opera Association (NOOA)

Robert Lyall, Conductor

Bernard Uzan, Director

Tosca (Puccini)

NOOA

Robert Lyall, Conductor

Jay Jackson, Director

Carmen (Bizet)

NOOA

Robert Lyall, Conductor

David Morelock, Director

Creative Achievement in Opera

A Glorious Gala Concert with Placido Domingo

NOOA

Robert Lyall, Conductor

Opera Gala: a Tribute to David Morelock

Loyola University, College of Music and Fine Arts

Loyola Symphony

Jean Montes, Director

Loyola University Chorus

Meg Frazier, Director

The Story of Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell

Loyola University, College of Music and Fine Arts

David Morelock, Stage Director

Carol Rausch, Conductor

Musical Excursions: UNO Coming Home: Viva La Opera

University of New Orleans Dept. of Music

Dr. Raquel Cortina, Director

Best Choral Arts Presentation

Chichester Psalms by Leonard Bernstein

Symphony Chorus of New Orleans

Steven Edwards, Music Director

LPO Classics

Carlos Miguel Prieto, Conductor

A Celebration of Carols 2009

St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church Concert Choir

Steven Blackmon, Music Director

Presbyterian Church, St. Charles Avenue

Gloria for Soprano, Chorus & Orchestra, by Francis Poulenc

St. Louis Cathedral Concert Choir

Dreux Montegut, Music Director

St. Louis Cathedral

Greetings of the Season

Gay Men's Chorus

Cedric Bridges, Artistic Director

UNO Performing Arts Center

Best Classical Ballet Production

Ballet At Five

Delta Festival Ballet

Joseph Giacobbe and Maria Giacobbe, Artistic Directors

Tulane University, Dixon Hall

La Boutique Fantasque

River Region Ballet

Susan Ferrara, Artistic Director, Sarah Comiskey, Director

Destrehan High School

The 100th Anniversary of the Ballets Russes

Loyola Ballet

Laura Zambrano, Director

Loyola University, Roussel Hall

Best Modern Dance Presentation

Dreams of Oblivion

Tsunami Dance Co.

Kettye Voltz and Erin Healan, Artistic Directors

Contemporary Arts Center

Sensitive Boys

Chard Gonzalez Dance Theatre

Chard Gonzalez, Director

Michalopoulos Studio at Fringe Festival

Spring Dance Concert 2009

New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts

Blake Coheley, Dance Department Chair

Lupin Memorial Hall, NOCCA/Riverfront

Stories of Untold Passion

Griffin Collins III, Director and Choreographer

Ashe Cultural Arts Center

Best Ethnic Dance Production

Congo Square Rhythms Festival

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation

Don Marshall, Executive Director

Culu African Dance Co., Kumbuka African Dance Co., N'Fungola Sibo West African Dance Co., N'Kafu African Dance Co. and Tekrema Dance Theater

Louis Armstrong Park, Congo Square

29th Annual Spring Concert

Komenka Ethnic Dance Ensemble

Daniel Gianfala, Cheryl O'Sullivan and John Rodi, Artistic Co-Directors

Loyola University, Roussel Hall

Tangle Into Tangos (Darkness Into Light)

Micaela y Fiesta Flamenca/D'Project/dance out LOUD2

Michelle Paule, Conductor

Contemporary Arts Center

Best Choregraphy (new work)

John Allen

Without A Fight

Newcomb Dance Company, Tulane University Dept. of Theatre & Dance

Tulane University, McWilliams Hall, Lab Theatre

Chard Gonzalez

The Box

NOCCA Spring Dance Concert

NOCCA/Riverfront, Lupin Memorial Hall

Laura Zambrano, Gayle Parmalee

Cognizance

Loyola Ballet Spring Concert

Loyola University, Roussel Hall