The La Porte County Symphony Orchestra’s (LCSO) Hoosier STAR is taking place Sept. 17 and will have three celebrity guest judges.
Dr. Carolyn Watson of the LCSO will be at the helm leading the orchestra as they accompany the contestants. Grammy nominated Music Director of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra, Alastair Willis, will still be there again for Hoosier STAR 2022, though with a bit of a twist: Willis is returning as a celebrity judge. Willis has guest conducted many orchestras around the world in addition to his position in South Bend, including the Chicago Symphony, Orquestra Sinfonica de Rio de Janeiro, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchestra Berlin, the Silk Road Ensemble (with Yo-Yo Ma) among others.
Also joining the LCSO this year as a celebrity judge is Lou Voelker, partner at the Indiana law firm Eichhorn & Eichhorn by day and is a member of the popular music group Cripple Creek by night. He was a member of the Purdue University Varsity Glee Club and was even named to its Hall of Fame.
The final celebrity judge for Hoosier STAR 2022 is known locally for her performances in musical theater and has been part of the Hoosier STAR team on several occasions as an audition judge: Greta Stirling Friedman. In addition to her Superior Court Judge duties, Friedman is very active in the local theater scene. One of her favorite theater roles was that of Peter in “Peter Pan,” where she was able to share the stage with her two children and gain a unique perspective of singing while soaring through the air.