Florida Grand Opera to Honor Deborah Voigt with SMOKE & MIRRORS Celebration, 10/26

In an opulent kickoff to the new opera season, Florida Grand Opera (FGO) is hosting a black tie celebration honoring the lifetime achievements of international opera star Deborah Voigt. Hosted by event chairs Gloria Portal and Isa Leibowitz and entitled "Smoke & Mirrors," this lavish affair takes over the historic Alfred I. DuPont Building on October 26, 2013. Guests will enjoy an unforgettable evening of mystery and magic.

"We are delighted to begin our tradition of lifetime achievement awards by honoring Ms. Voigt, who is not only one of opera's all-time greats, but also has a strong history with the company," said Susan T. Danis, CEO and General Director of Florida Grand Opera. "I cannot think of a better way to start our new season."

World-renowned American soprano Deborah Voigt is one of the biggest names in opera today. Known for a beautiful and robust voice, Ms. Voigt has filled major opera houses throughout the United States and abroad. Also noted for her dramatic ability and versatility, she has built an international career on performing the works of Wagner and Strauss as well as portraying the heroines of Italian opera, yielding critically-acclaimed performances at every turn for more than twenty years.

Florida Grand Opera is proud to have hosted a number of these remarkable presentations, beginning with her company debut in 1996 as Ariadne in Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos, followed by Lady Macbeth in Verdi's Macbeth in 1999. She returned once again in 2001 for her title role debut in Puccini'sTosca, where her "gleaming soprano" produced "thrilling moments," according to the Sun Sentinel.

A Metropolitan Opera regular and Rickard Tucker Award winner, Voigt has sung in iconic spaces from New York to Hong Kong, including San Francisco Opera, Vienna State Opera, and Deutsche Oper Berlin, among others. In 2010, she returned to the Metropolitan Opera for a new production of Puccini's La fanciulla del West, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the work's world premiere, and collected the final pieces her of Ring Cycle repertoire by singing Brünnhilde in Siegfried and Götterdämmerung the following year.

The Grammy Award-nominated artist also enjoyed time on screen through the Met's Live in HD broadcasts as well as PBS shows like Great Performances andLive from Lincoln Center. Yet, through all her success, critics and colleagues agree that Voigt's most admirable trait is her ability to remain humble and down-to-earth, making her one of the most esteemed and endearing stars of the genre.