Watch the interview!
Update: Rescheduled Event
Legendary soprano Deborah Voigt, who was named Shenandoah Conservatory’s 2015–16 American Icon, has rescheduled her visit to Winchester. Voigt will be the featured guest for a special Performance Forum interview and Q&A at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 27 in Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre. In addition to the interview and Q&A, Voigt will conduct a masterclass for voice students and meet with conservatory faculty, students, and supporters.
One of the world’s greatest sopranos has been named Shenandoah Conservatory’s 2015–16 American Icon. Deborah Voigt, who made her name as a leading dramatic soprano—revered for her performances in Wagner and Strauss operas and more recently acclaimed for her captivating performances of Broadway standards and popular songs—will be featured during a special Performance Forum interview and Q&A at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 30 in Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre. In addition to the interview and Q&A, Voigt will conduct a masterclass for voice students and meet with conservatory faculty, students, and supporters.
Voigt is increasingly recognized as one of the world’s most versatile singers and one of music’s most endearing personalities. Through her stage and television appearances, she is known for the singular power and beauty of her voice, as well as for her captivating stage presence. Voigt’s extensive discography has garnered her multiple Grammy nominations and wins. She appears regularly as both performer and host in the Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD series, which is transmitted live to movie theaters around the world, and has won a number of major awards, including the Gold Medal in Moscow’s International Tchaikovsky Competition, First Prize at Philadelphia’s Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition, and a Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. In 2003, Musical America named her Vocalist of the Year, and in 2007 she won the Opera News Award for distinguished achievement.
Voigt’s visit was arranged by Adjunct Artist-in-Residence, Voice (Soprano) Nancy Gustafson, M.M., who met Voigt in the 1990s when they sang together at a fundraiser for San Francisco Opera. “Deborah has been one of the leading sopranos in the world for over two decades,” Gustafson said. “Not only is she a brilliant singer and musician, but she is also a wonderful person. Having started her career in the U.S. early in life, she relates well to the demand put on young singers. They will adore her. We are very fortunate to have her at Shenandoah.”
As a featured guest for the American Icons series, Voigt follows a prestigious lineup of speakers, including composer Philip Glass and jazz legend Wynton Marsalis. “Deborah Voigt is not only a world-class artist who embodies the very essence of an American icon,” said Dean of Shenandoah Conservatory Michael Stepniak, Ed.D., “she is an inspirational mentor and role model for young artists—exceptionally courageous and authentic both on and off stage.”
The Performance Forum interview featuring Deborah Voigt at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 27 in Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre is open to the Shenandoah University campus community; however, seating preference is given to current Shenandoah Conservatory faculty, staff and students.
About American Icons
American Icons is a conversation among artists established in the fall of 2013. The American Icons series seeks to bring Shenandoah Conservatory students into closer contact with artists who are not only iconic, but who reveal through their life and work a wild openness of heart—a way of being as an artist that is grounded in integrity and embraced in collaboration and generosity of spirit. Previous American Icons include Wynton Marsalis (2014–15) and Philip Glass (2013–14).