Jackie Evancho

Singer

Pittsburgh, PA

BIO

Jackie Evancho was born to Michael and Lisa Evancho, and has an older brother, a younger brother, and a younger sister. She started singing when she was seven years old, after watching the movie "Phantom of the Opera." Her mother heard Evancho singing songs from the movie and allowed her to enter a local talent contest just for fun. She finished as the runner-up and was voted the audience favorite. Eventually she participated in other talent contests and started a YouTube channel.

Evancho has performed onstage with producer David Foster; was an invited performer on the PBS Special "Celebrate America" with conductor/composer Tim Janis; sang the national anthem at an event honoring aviation pioneer General Chuck Yeager; and has performed many times at the invitation of Pennsylvania Senator Jane Orie. Jackie also performs at numerous events and charity functions in and around her hometown.

Jackie Evancho sings in the "classical crossover" style of singers such as Hayley Westenra and Sarah Brightman. She studies singing with a voice coach, and also plays the violin and piano.

On November 1, 2009, Evancho released her debut album called "Prelude to a Dream." The album features mainly covers of songs such as Martina McBride's "Concrete Angel," Josh Groban's "To Where You Are," and a cover of "Amazing Grace," among others. Several crossover selections appear on the album as well; "Con te Partiro" is not an operatic piece, although "O Mio Babbino Caro" does appear in Puccini's "Gianni Schicchi." The version of Schubert's "Ave Maria" heard on the album is not the original song, which is set to a secular text in German. Instead, it's an arrangement of the Roman Catholic setting of the "Hail Mary" prayer in Italian.

On December 2, 2010, she is scheduled to sing at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and will be the youngest female vocal soloist ever to have performed there.

On August 10, 2010, on America's Got Talent, she performed "O Mio Babbino Caro" by Giacomo Puccini. The aria is also on her debut album. She received a standing ovation after her performance, and was awarded a trip to Universal Studios in Florida for receiving the most fan votes from the submissions to the show from YouTube.