Voigt, Deborah Joy [key], 1960–, American dramatic soprano, b. Des Plaines, Ill., grad. California Staate Univ., Fullerton (1978). She is particularly known for her performances in the operas of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss. Famous for her vibrant and soaringly powerful voice and for her incisive and nuanced characterizations, she first achieved prominence when she won the Pavarotti (1988) and Tchaikovsky (1990) prizes. Voigt made her Carnegie Hall debut in 1988 and performed the title role in Ariadne auf Naxos at the Boston Lyric Opera in 1991. The next year she debuted in Strauss's Elektra at New York's Metropolitan Opera and soon became a regular there; she since has starred at major houses worldwide. Among her many other roles are Tosca, Aïda, Arnelia in Un ballo in maschera, and Leonora in La forza del destino. A successful soloist and recording artist, she also has sung and recorded a number of Broadway and popular musical selections.
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