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Rep. John L. Mica

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Louis Roney, who has devoted his life both as a performing artist and in support of the arts. Throughout his career as a longtime leading operatic tenor, he has been featured in the great opera houses of Europe and North America. As a great patron of the arts in Florida, he has recently been recognized and will soon be inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame.

Mr. Roney's professional music career began after his studies at Harvard and commended service in the U.S. Navy during WWII. Over four decades he sang leading roles throughout Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Brussels, Munich and Lisbon, as well as Italy, Canada, and of course, the United States. He was frequently engaged as a soloist all across America and Europe and appeared in numerous movies and national operatic festivals over the course of his career. Over the years he has performed as leading tenor in every major French and German opera house. His life work has been performing, teaching and supporting music.

Though he spent his whole life mingling amongst heads of state, royalty and Europe's cultural elite, he never lost a deep sense of how art can transcend power and wealth and can be appreciated and enjoyed by everyone. Mr. Roney has said that, ``The artist's life is a `giving' proposition. And if giving is more blessed than receiving, the artist is more blest than those who enjoy his art.''

Returning to his home State of Florida after his European career, Mr. Roney continued to devote his life to expanding cultural opportunities for others. He founded and for 17 years led Orlando's Festival of Orchestras. He served as Distinguished Professor of Music and Artist in Residence Emeritus at the University of Central Florida. In both of these roles Mr. Roney has worked with passion and dedication to make culture and the arts accessible to as many people as possible.

Mr. Roney is well deserving of the honor and induction into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. This recognition expresses our State's appreciation for his selfless service to the humanities and salutes a life lived with great dignity and purpose, as well as a daily sense of the high calling of the artist. He and his career have had a deep and profound impact on our community, State and Nation. I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing Mr. Roney for his decades of service and congratulate him on the Florida Artists Hall of Fame's recognition of his invaluable contributions.