Music student to join orchestra for Stagestruck

Stephanie White, Entertainment Editor

The winner of the 2015 Concerto will be joining the Eastern Symphony Orchestra in presenting the Stagestruck musical performance.

Eric Luminais, a senior music major, will perform with the orchestra at 4 p.m. Sunday in Dvorak Concert Hall at the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

Tickets for the concert are $12 for general audience, $10 for seniors and $5 for students.

The Chamber Orchestra will be accompanying the Symphony Orchestra, along with guest artists Jeffrey Brown, a pianist; and Regina Rossi, a professional singer.

Luminais’ performance with the Symphony Orchestra will be his first solo appearance with an orchestra.

Dan Crews, the director of patron services in Doudna, said the concert will open with Brown, who will be performing a piece by Edvard Grieg, according to a press release.

Brown is the associate professor of piano at Western Illinois University, where he teaches piano, piano literature and piano pedagogy.

Brown has performed throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia as a solo recitalist, chamber musician and soloist with orchestras.

Crews said Brown has recently presented a recital tour in the U.S. and Canada and a series of recitals in China.

He has also presented masters classes and lectures at universities and conservations throughout the U.S.

Crews said Rossi is returning to Eastern after her debut with the symphony orchestra in 2002.

He said her singing voice has let her to star in lyric soprano roles in many productions, such as Phantom of the Opera, Camelot, the Music Man and others.

Rossi was also recorded for the title role of Tsarina Alexandra on the original highlights CD for a pop opera called “Rasputin.”

Crews said she has also done voiceovers in TV, radio and educational videos.  For the past several years she has been the voice of Eddie for Fisher-Price’s Little People LIVE Show.

She has also carried on her parent’s tradition singing as a professional soloist in the church for over 35 years, according to the Rossi’s website. Currently, she is the soprano section leader and soloist at First Presbyterian Church and the Funeral Music Ministry coordinator as well as the cantor-soloist at St. Gregory the Great Church, her website stated.

Stephanie White can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].