Yanni to Receive Honorary Doctorate

(CelebrityAccess News Service) — New Age artist Yanni, a University of Minnesota graduate, will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Minnesota on May 6, 2004 for his cultural contributions. An honorary doctorate is the highest award conferred by the University of Minnesota.

Yanni's doctoral hooding ceremony, presided by University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks, will be held in conjunction with the University of Minnesota Alumni Association's (UMAA) 100th Anniversary Finale and Annual Celebration at Northrop Auditorium on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. Yanni will also deliver a keynote address and multimedia presentation and musical performances by University of Minnesota students.

"Yanni is a perfect example of an alumnus who is changing the world through his music and his "one world, one people philosophy," said Margaret Carlson, University of Minnesota Alumni Association, executive director. "Yanni is a rare artist, whose unique music defies borders and boundaries and speaks to people of all races and nations." — Jane Cohen and Bob Grossweiner