Interview: Constantine Maroulis of THE FLORIDA ROCK SYMPHONY SERIES at Ruth Eckerd Hall
On stage on June 27 & July 17
Ruth Eckerd Hall and 107.3 The Eagle, in association with TCG Entertainment, are setting the stage for a summer of symphonic rock, uniting the 27-piece Florida Rock Symphony with the music of Led Zeppelin, Journey, and David Bowie. Two of those nights, June 27 and July 17, feature Constantine Maroulis, the American Idol standout and Tony nominated star of Rock of Ages, returning to Clearwater with the unmistakable presence that first won over millions.
The Florida Rock Symphony has built a reputation for merging classical precision with the voltage of rock, creating arrangements that feel expansive, cinematic, and unexpectedly intimate. Maroulis lights up when he talks about the first time he heard those orchestrations behind him. “It’s the sheer power of it… this epic cinematic quality,” he said. “It takes it to a different level.” Even songs he has lived with for decades feel newly unearthed when the strings swell beneath a guitar line or the brass cuts through a familiar chorus.
On June 27, he steps into the Led Zeppelin catalog respectfully but never imitatively. “Obviously there’s only one Robert Plant,” he said. “People want you to honor the melody, the lyrics, the power of the songs, but to bring something new.” His approach begins with the text, shaping the arc from the quietest breath to the full throttle release that orchestral rock makes possible.
The July 17 Infinity Rising: The Music of Journey concert brings another towering vocal legacy to the stage. One song in particular hits him with unexpected force: “Mother, Father.” “It’s so epic,” he said. “I really personalize it… I lost my mom, I lost my dad. It feels very personal to me.” He speaks about Steve Perry with the admiration of one technician recognizing another, marveling at Perry’s mastery of vowels, phrasing, and lift. “He can sing anywhere, anytime, anyplace,” he said. “It’s just good pure singing.”
Away from the spotlight, Maroulis has discovered a deep love for mentoring young performers, calling it “maybe the most rewarding” part of his artistic life. Watching a student take a note, adjust, and suddenly unlock a moment is, for him, its own kind of performance high. That generosity threads through his work onstage as well, an instinct to lift the material, the musicians, and the audience together.
He also has a long, easy rapport with Tampa Bay audiences, and he is entering these concerts in a season of creative renewal. “I turned 50, and I feel better and look better than I have in a long time,” he said. “There’s a lot to say.” He is balancing fatherhood to a teen, new writing, and the development of original musicals including Rock and Roll Man, which he recently performed in Europe. For audiences, these concerts offer the rare chance to hear legendary catalogs not just performed but transformed, ballads deepened by orchestral warmth, anthems magnified by symphonic force, and familiar songs illuminated in ways that feel both nostalgic and new.
And when asked which artistic lane excites him most now that he has acted, sung, written, mentored, and produced, he answers with the same philosophy Tom Brady used when asked which championship ring was his favorite.
“The next one.”
Learn more about Maroulis at ConstantineMaroulis.com and Instagram @ConstantineMaroulis. The Florida Rock Symphony performs The Music of Led Zeppelin on June 27 at 8 PM, Infinity Rising: The Music of Journey on July 17 at 8 PM, and Changes: A Tribute To The Music Of David Bowie On Friday, August 7 At 8 PM at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. Tickets are available at RuthEckerdHall.com
