Who Is Christopher Macchio? All About the Inauguration Singer
Trump has selected Christopher Macchio to perform the national anthem at his inauguration.
Inauguration ceremonies are traditionally filled with patriotic music performances. In 2021, Lady Gaga performed the national anthem at President Joe Biden’s inauguration while Beyoncé sang at President Barack Obama’s in 2013. And in 2025, President-elect Donald Trump has selected accomplished opera singer Christopher Macchio to perform at his second inauguration.
Read on to learn all about Macchio, his music career, and how to watch the inauguration on NBC on Monday, January 20, 2025.
Who is Christopher Macchio?
Born and raised in Manhattan, New York City, Macchio is an opera singer and member of the New York Tenors. Now 46, Macchio attended the Manhattan School of Music and has been with the New York Tenors since 2014, according to his LinkedIn profile.
During his career, Macchio has released two studio albums: Dolci Momenti in 2010 and Oh Holy Night in 2020.
Outside of the New York Tenors, Macchio has performed solo on live television multiple times including at Celebrity Fight Night with David Foster in 2020 and at the White House patio for the 2020 Republican National Convention. At a campaign rally, Trump described Macchio as “one of the greatest opera singers in the world.”
Macchio also has a couple film credits to his name. He had a role in the 2024 film Cabrini as Giovanni the Singer and appeared as himself in the 2023 crime dramedy Don Q.
In his Instagram bio, Macchio says he’s a “firm believer in the unifying power of beautiful music.”
Christopher Macchio will perform the national anthem at Trump’s inauguration
In addition to country star Carrie Underwood, Macchio will perform at Trump’s inauguration ceremony on Monday, January 20 inside the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C.
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Macchio will perform the national anthem — “The Star-Spangled Banner” — after Trump has been sworn into office and delivers his inaugural address. A photo of the program for Trump’s inauguration shows that Macchio will also perform a “musical selection” before the vice presidential and presidential oaths of office.
“It is with deep humility and gratitude that I have accepted President Donald J. Trump’s gracious invitation to perform our national anthem at the inauguration of our 47th president,” Macchio wrote on X ahead of his performance.
Trump previously said at a rally that his late brother Robert had introduced him to Macchio. (Robert was a “big big fan” of the opera singer.) Over the years, Macchio has performed for Trump several times. At two separate rallies in October 2024, for example, Macchio sang Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” at Madison Square Garden and many songs in Butler, Pennsylvania including “Ave Maria,” “Hallelujah,” and “God Bless America.” He also performed after Trump’s speech at the 2024 RNC.
“I like to think I’m his go-to guy at this point and hope to continue to do so,” Macchio said of his musical relationship with Trump in an interview on the CIA: Contagious Influencers of America podcast.
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How to watch Trump’s inauguration in 2025
NBC will broadcast Trump’s inauguration ceremony on Monday, January 20, with coverage starting at 7 a.m. ET.
To watch NBC's live coverage from the morning until the evening, tune into your local NBC News station. You can also stream it live on NBC News NOW, which you can find on YouTube, the NBC News app, Peacock, and more streaming platforms.
