Born and raised near Atlanta, GA, this former college football player is known best for his extreme vocal range and versatility. Having performed in many rock bands while growing up and strongly influenced by such vocal legends as Robert Plant, Steve Perry, John Farnham and Lou Gramm, Rob left music behind to study business and play football for the University of Georgia. While messing around in the studio his final year at UGA, Rob recorded a song that was submitted to the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. He was chosen as Georgia's New Talent Award Winner and was honored on a telecast with the likes of Gladys Knight and 38 Special.
After being passionately moved by a performance of Les Miserables at The Fox Theater in Atlanta, Rob decided to pursue his dream and move to New York. Three months after moving, Rob was cast in Les Miserables on a national tour that would later bring him back to New York City for his Broadway debut. On Broadway, Rob has starred in Les Miserables, Jekyll & Hyde, Dance of the Vampires, Little Shop of Horrors and Disney's Tarzan.
It was, also, on Broadway that Rob was able to connect back into his love for the world of rock music. Legendary composer and song writer Jim Steinman (Bat Out of Hell and Dance of the Vampires) and Grammy award-winning record producer Steve Rinkoff mentored Rob in and out of the studio, developing The Dream Engine, a band that featured both classic and new Steinman epics.
Through Jekyll & Hyde, Rob was introduced to songwriter, producer and founder of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Paul O'Neill. Rob joined the platinum-selling rock band and first toured with TSO in 2001. Rob is currently a member of TSO and can be heard on The Lost Christmas (Atlantic) and the upcoming release of Nightcastle (Atlantic).
Along the way, Rob has performed at numerous prestigious events including the 2001 Inaugural Gala for President George W. Bush, the Millennium Independence Day US Naval Revue aboard the USS JFK for President Clinton, the Millennium World Forum Conference with guest speaker Mikhail Gorbachev, the 1998 Goodwill Games, the New York City Mayor’s Inaugural Gala, the 1998 and 1999 NY Yankees World Series Celebration at City Hall, The Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards Telecast, the Today Show, and Monday Night Football.
He has worked with REM, Phil Collins, John Mellencamp, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bonnie Tyler, Usher, Trisha Yearwood, Tony Bennett, Joan Jett, Michael Crawford, Linda Eder, and Sebastian Bach of Skid Row. Rob has been a featured soloist for many leading symphonies across the nation including recent appearances in San Francisco, San Diego, Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Alabama, and Indianapolis as well as appearances in Broadway Rocks! with the Cleveland, Minnesota, Utah, West Virginia, National, and Hong Kong Symphonies. He is currently developing his fusion concert entitled The Rock Tenor featuring Menrva Realm.
Ianu's music is inspired by real life drama, his melodic guitar style being deeply rooted in violin playing. He studied classical violin for about 3 years before picking up the guitar and starting to write music, and has performed in a couple of original acts that enjoyed local success.
A few years ago, Ianu laid the foundation for a new music project. Later he would meet singer and songwriter Rodney Thomas, with whom he wrote many songs, some of which are included in the "Angels" album.
In 2007, Trans-Siberian Orchestra vocalist, Rob Evan, joined the project and brought a new vision. Together, in 2008, they founded Menrva Realm.
IANU (Laurian Mohai) – all lead and rhythm guitars, acoustic guitar (7-9), bass (2), electric sitar (9)
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Howard Helm - piano & other keyboards
Mark Prator - drums
Douglas Bailey – bass (1,3-9)
Tom Morris – acoustic guitars (8), percussion (1,2,3,8,9), backup vocals (5)
Jim Morris – acoustic guitars (1,3-7,9), electric sitar (5)
Joe Lala - percussion (4,6,7)
Jack Wilkins – saxophone (4)
Erin Conley – backup vocals (6)
Strings:
Violin I:
Jeff Multer, Concertmaster (1,9), Lei Liu, Second Assistant Concertmaster (1,3-5,7-9), Sarah Shellman, Principal Second (1,9), Joni Roos (1,9), Fiona Lofthouse (1,9), Oleg Geyer (1,9)
Violin II:
Natasha Bazhanov (1,9), Eric Nordstrom (1,9), Mary Corbett (1,9), David Dillingham (1,9), William Kang (3-5,7,8)
Viola:
Ken Kwo (1,9), Alison Heydt (1,9), Karen Dumke (1,3-5,7-9)
Cello:
Lowell Adams, Assistant Principal (1,3-5,7-9), Laura Smith (1,9)
Bass:
Dee Moses, Principal (1,3,9)
Conductors:
Chuck Owen (1,9), David Stamps (3-5,7,8)
All music written by Laurian Mohai and Rodney Thomas (except 6 - Laurian Mohai, Jesse Morris, Rodney Thomas)
All lyrics written by Rodney Thomas (except 6 - Jesse Morris)
Lyrical arrangements by Rob Evan (1,4,5,7,9)
String arrangements by Chuck Owen (1,9) and Laurian Mohai (3-5, 7,8)
All keyboards arrangements by Howard Helm and Tom Morris (with contributions by Eric Roberts on 3,4,8,9)
Produced, Engineered and Mixed by Tom Morris
Mastered by Jim Morris
Assistant Engineers: Sean Burnett and Jason Blackerby
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered at Morrisound Recording Studios, Tampa, FL, USA
You guys are really great I want to hear a lot more of what you have to offer I'm in a band right now we are a bunch of crazy kids just planin cause we love it
Forget about downloading our music on itunes etc... we've got something even MORE exciting.
You can now actually OWN a piece of the band. Instead of buying our cd right now - you can be a shareholder in our next one. It's a brilliant system - check it out!
http://www.sellaband.com/projects/epyllion
You pick how many shares you want to buy - and then once the album is done, you start making money! :) And of course you can back out at any time. It would be really cool to have you on board for this.
This is our singer Eric, all by himself - playing "Interstate Love Song" by Stone Temple Pilots. If you like it - be sure to share it with people - it's a fun acoustic version of the song! :) The code is at the end of the song!
Online Now!
