Oscar Josue Rossignoli

Age: 26
Occupation: Piano performance senior, LSU
Hometown: San Pedro Sula, Honduras

Pianist Oscar Rossignoli’s hands move swiftly to produce a precise Mozart sonata.

There’s joy in the spinning, symmetrical notes as they wheel out of the gleaming soundboard before him, birds tethered by ribbons.

Later on, there’s jazz.

The notes go wild, like tropical quetzals that wing about in the jungles in Honduras, Rossignoli’s home country.

The accomplished LSU music performance senior is comfortable with both: No way the constraints of classical tunes can cancel out the supposed looseness of jazz, as some more conservative musicians might claim.

“The technique for classical helps me free myself in jazz,” the pianist says. “Jazz helps me better understand the classical music, too. Both are essential to me.”

Rossignoli draws on both jazz and classical in his original compositions.

Early on, drums called him. But piano, which he started at age 10, became his forte.

Studying music in the States is a lifelong dream come true for Rossignoli.

On March 11, he will perform his graduation recital at LSU. He’ll head to graduate school somewhere this fall, though he’s not sure which university.

The practice room is familiar territory. Rossignoli hangs out there a lot.

But he’s been tweaking his process lately, questioning every perceived limitation of his craft.

“When I started, I used to lock myself in my room for hours practicing,” he says. “But the more I practice, or the more I get experience in the music field, I am feeling that it’s not the amount of hours of practice that matters, but the quality of a practice.”

Rossignoli loves being onstage, so he’s also expanding his definition of stage by creating a channel on YouTube, where anyone in the world can see both his jazz and classical prowess. He also has a Facebook Fan page.

“I see social media as a great tool to communicate with more people, really quickly. That’s what all musicians are after, after all. Performing for an audience.” facebook.com/rossignoli.piano