Other honorees include writer Lloyd Alexander and visual artist Lonnie Graham.

"Pennsylvania has a rich cultural heritage and we continue to build on that foundation," Rendell said. "This year's talented and visionary awardees represent the significant contributions made to our commonwealth by the members of Pennsylvania's cultural community. It is a great pleasure to recognize these distinguished artists and celebrate their achievements and to honor them with the commonwealth's highest recognition for artistic talent and service to the arts."

The awards will be presented at a ceremony at the Palace Theatre in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, on October 18. The event is free and open to the public.

Horne studied at the University of Southern California and made her debut at Los Angeles Guild Opera in 1954. After spending several years with Germany's Gelsenkirchen Opera, she burst onto the international opera scene, making debuts at La Scala, Covent Garden, and the Metropolitan Opera in rapid succession. Her many honors include a recent lifetime achievement award from Gramophone magazine.

The Governor's Awards for the Arts have been presented for 25 years. Last year's winners included pianist Lang Lang.