Boyd performs to sold-out house at River Campus

It was cold and snowing outside, but Neal E. Boyd was welcomed with warm applause when he appeared with the Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra on Friday evening to a sold-out crowd of 940 concertgoers at the Bedell Performance Hall on the River Campus.

The orchestra, led by conductor Dr. Sara Edgerton, began with a compilation of patriotic tunes. Boyd then joined the orchestra, singing "Nessun Dorma," the aria he sang to win "America's Got Talent." The Southeast Missouri University choir provided backup voices to Boyd on the aria, which is one of the best known arias for tenors from the opera "Turandot."

The concert was a one-night-only event and Boyd's first performance on the River Campus stage. He seemed at home with both the orchestra and the crowd, receiving applause each time he walked on stage. Boyd joined the orchestra again for "Somewhere" from West Side Story. The rest of the evening's performances included selections from "The Sound of Music," "Phantom of the Opera" and "Anthem" from the musical "Chess." The evening concluded with the University Choir accompanying Boyd and the orchestra on Schubert's "Ave Maria."

Since winning "America's Got Talent" in 2008, Boyd, a native of Sikeston, Mo., has been headlining in his own concert in Las Vegas and touring the country. He has also made several television

appearances, including Christmas at Rockefeller Center, the "Today" show and "Live with Regis and Kelly," and continued a publicity/concert tour with the U.S. Armed Forces and performances for the NFL and Major League Baseball.

Boyd's love for his country and sense of civic duty has him singing for countless political and state events, earning him the title "The Voice of Missouri."

The Southeast Missouri State Symphony Orchestra, made up of university students and faculty as well as community members, is in its ninth year. The orchestra usually holds five to six concerts a season and travels abroad. It appeared in May in China and performed on the Great Wall near Beijing. The orchestra's next performance is scheduled for March 29 and 30 when it will play the Easter portion of Handel's

"Messiah."

Boyd's next performance will be Feb. 14 in Las Vegas where he will be headlining a variety concert at the Hilton Theater with three "America's Got Talent" finalists.