Visit Sarasota County Names Maestro Victor DeRenzi the 2026 Voice of Sarasota

SARASOTA, Fla. – Maestro Victor DeRenzi has been conducting excellence at the Sarasota Opera for over four decades – and now, he will be recognized with Visit Sarasota County’s top honor. At its National Travel & Tourism Week Celebration on May 7, Visit Sarasota County’s Board of Directors will name DeRenzi as the 2026 Voice of Sarasota – an honor presented to an individual whose exceptional efforts have significantly promoted Sarasota County as a tourism destination.

“Maestro DeRenzi has played a transformative role in elevating the City of Sarasota onto the international stage,” said John LaCivita, President/CEO of Willis Smith Construction and Board Chair of Visit Sarasota County. “Through his visionary leadership and extraordinary artistic talent, he has shaped the identity of Sarasota Opera from its inception in the late ‘70s as a small regional company through to its centennial year, now a world-recognized gem of American opera companies. I will forever remember the Maestro for leading the charge in the early 2000s to expand and modernize the Opera House’s orchestra pit and theatre—completed in 2008—enabling the company to perform at the highest level. His impact continues to strengthen our tourism economy, drawing visitors from around the world to experience why Sarasota is known as Florida’s Cultural Coast.”

Over his tenure, Maestro DeRenzi has overseen more than 1,550 opera performances and 222 productions spanning 123 different works. His leadership brought Sarasota Opera global acclaim, particularly for its commitment to rarely performed works. Renowned as a leading interpreter of Giuseppe Verdi, Maestro DeRenzi initiated Sarasota Opera’s “Verdi Cycle,” which made the company the only one in the world to have performed the full body of Verdi’s music upon completion in 2016. This means DeRenzi is the only conductor to have conducted the composer’s entire canon. DeRenzi also holds the distinction of being the longest-serving Artistic Director of any opera company in the United States.  

While dedicating himself to building Sarasota Opera into an internationally recognized institution, Maestro DeRenzi also maintained an active conducting career across the United States and abroad. In 2015, he was awarded the title of Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia (Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy) by the Italian Republic for his role in advancing Italian culture internationally.

DeRenzi will join the ranks of past Voice of Sarasota award recipients which most recently have included John and Amanda Horne (2025), Jennifer Rominiecki (2024), and Michael Klauber (2023).
Originally created by the U.S. Travel Association, National Travel & Tourism Week is celebrated annually in May to highlight travel’s role in driving economic growth and strengthening communities. This year’s celebration, hosted by Visit Sarasota County, will be held at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Courtyard on Tuesday, May 7 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Recognizing that the coming year marks a century since John Ringling moved the winter quarters of the Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey Circus to Sarasota, the evening event will feature subtle Art Deco touches, immersive nods to Sarasota’s circus legacy, and a “Walk of the Decades” highlighting local businesses which are also celebrating centennials and other milestones.

The 2026 National Travel & Tourism Week Celebration is generously sponsored by The Ringling, Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, Amalfi Events Design, Rignling College of Art + Design, Sarasota Opera, The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota, and Caldwell Trust Company, among other area partners.

Tickets are on sale now at https://visitsarasotacounty.ticketspice.com/2026-national-travel-tourism-week-celebration.  

About Visit Sarasota County
Visit Sarasota County (VSC) is the official tourism marketing entity and primary provider of visitor information for Sarasota County where tourism is the top industry. Through programs and partnerships, VSC makes Sarasota County a better place by promoting our community on the world stage. These efforts bring together over 500 partners to keep visitors coming, local businesses open and residents employed all year. VSC is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program, a program of the Destination Management Association International (DMAI). To learn more, visit www.visitsarasota.com.

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