Juilliard to honor Peter Sellars, Nicholas Hytner

The Juilliard School in New York will confer honorary doctorate degrees on directors Peter Sellars and Nicholas Hytner during its commencement ceremony in May.

Honorary degrees also will be given to dancer Suzanne Farrell, jazz artist Dianne Reeves and pianist-conductor Murray Perahia, the school announced Thursday.

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Hytner, the outgoing head of Britain’s National Theatre, will give the commencement address at the Juilliard graduation. The ceremony will take place May 22 at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center and be streamed online.

An accomplished stage director, Hytner also has directed a few films, including a big-screen adaptation of the Alan Bennett play “The Lady in the Van,” starring Maggie Smith, which is expected to be released this year.

Hytner will be succeeded at the National Theatre by Rufus Norris, whose tenure is set to begin in April.

Sellars has staged operas and plays, and he is a professor of world arts and cultures at UCLA. He recently directed a new production of Purcell’s “The Indian Queen” for the English National Opera.

Last year’s Juilliard commencement speech was given by operatic mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato. Recent commencement speakers include actress Laura Linney, playwright Athol Fugard and composer John Adams.

Twitter: @DavidNgLAT