Jacqueline Marie Evancho ( ;Listen to Evancho pronounce her name: Jackie Evancho vine recording , May 24, 2014 born April 9, 2000) is an American singer who gained wide recognition at an early age, singing primarily classical crossover covers. Since 2009, she has issued nine albums, a platinum-selling EP and two further EPs; three of her discs debuted in the top 10 on the Billboard 200."Jackie Evancho on Classical-Crossover", Classical-crossover.co.uk, accessed October 26, 2011The platinum EP, O Holy Night, was also certified gold, as was her studio album Dream With Me. See "Jackie Evancho" results, RIAA's Gold & Platinum Program, accessed July 24, 2016 She has also presented three solo PBS concert specials.
Between 2008 and 2010, Evancho entered talent competitions, sang the US national anthem at a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game, issued her first album, Prelude to a Dream, and attracted interest on YouTube. In 2010, at the age of ten, she gained wide notice with her 2nd-place finish in the fifth season of America's Got Talent. With the 2010 holiday release of her O Holy Night EP, Evancho became the best-selling debut artist of 2010, the youngest top-10 debut artist in US history and the youngest solo artist ever to go platinum in the US. In 2011, her first full-length album, Dream with Me, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, and she became the youngest top-5 debut artist in UK history. Billboard ranked Evancho the top Classical Albums Artist of 2011. Later that year, Evancho released a full-length holiday album, Heavenly Christmas, and became the youngest person ever to give a solo concert at Lincoln Center in New York City as part of her first concert tour.
In 2012, Evancho released Songs from the Silver Screen, her third top-10 album debut. In 2013 she headlined benefit concerts at Carnegie Hall and elsewhere. She also appeared in the 2012 Robert Redford film The Company You Keep. Later album releases include Awakening (2014), Someday at Christmas (2016), Two Hearts (2017), The Debut (2019, her eighth consecutive release to reach No. 1 on the US classical albums chart)Blake, Jason. "Whatever happened to Limelight's Most Talented Kids in Classical Music?", Limelight, July 28, 2023; and "Jackie Evancho Chart History: Classical Albums", Billboard, accessed October 31, 2020 and Carousel of Time (2022). In 2017, Evancho performed the US national anthem at the first presidential inauguration of Donald Trump and became the youngest person ever to perform a concert series at Café Carlyle. She has given concert tours in support of each of her studio albums. Evancho appeared in 2020 as a contestant on The Masked Singer. In 2024, Evancho released a new EP titled "Solla" which contains singles "Behind My Eyes", "Get Out of My Life", and "Consequences".
Family and early life Evancho was born on April 9, 2000,Greenburg, Zack O'Malley. "Jackie Evancho: 14 Questions With the 30 Under 30 Opera Prodigy", Forbes magazine, November 17, 2017, accessed October 23, 2023Comer, M. Tye. "Jackie Evancho: 21 Under 21 (2012)", Billboard, September 17, 2012, accessed October 23, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Lisa and Michael Evancho.Gormly, Kellie B. "Pine-Richland 9-year-old to sing national anthem at Pirates opener", Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, April 5, 2010, accessed January 26, 2014 Her father operated a video security business until 2010.Carter, Brooke. "What Happened to Jackie Evancho – News & Updates", Gazette Review, March 11, 2017 She has an older sister Juliet,Nelson, Jeff. "Jackie Evancho's Sister Juliet Opens Up About Her Transgender Journey", People magazine, October 12, 2015Torres, Ignacio, Hana Karar and Lauren Effron. "As Jackie Evancho Prepares for Inauguration Performance, Her Transgender Sister Juliet Prepares for Gender Confirmation Surgery", ABC, January 19, 2017; and Balingit, Moriah. "Transgender sister of inauguration singer Jackie Evancho wins injunction in bathroom lawsuit", The Washington Post, February 28, 2017 a younger brother Zachary, and a younger sister Rachel.Rogers, Katie. "Juliet and Jackie Evancho, Bonding as Targets in a Trump Media Frenzy", The New York Times, January 11, 2017 She was raised in a suburb of PittsburghCondran, Ed. "Jackie Evancho to Perform at Easton's State Theatre after Singing for Pope" , The Morning Call, accessed September 26, 2015 in a Catholic family.Highfield, David. "Pittsburgher Jackie Evancho to Perform for Pope Francis", CBS Pittsburgh, September 26, 2015 Evancho began her education in the Pine-Richland School District,Lawson, Kyle. "Jackie Evancho's favored to win $1 million, Vegas show", Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, September 8, 2010, accessed January 26, 2014 but at various times, after her career began, she received online schooling.Friedman, Sally. "Pre-teen vocal prodigy unfazed by limelight", CourierPostOnline.com, August 17, 2012 (fee required); and Vancheri, Barbara. "Jackie Evancho's debut on film The Company You Keep is serendipitous", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 26, 2013, accessed April 16, 2014Kanny, Mark. "Jackie Evancho talks about school, music, life as a star", Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, October 14, 2011, accessed January 26, 2014; Williams, Candy. "Jackie Evancho Is in the News and on the Stage", TribLive.com, March 2, 2017; and Moore, Michael C. "The international sensation next door", Kitsap Sun, May 29, 2018 She attended Pine-Richland High School,Legaspi, Althea. "Jackie Evancho's Transgender Sister Won't Be at Inauguration", Rolling Stone, January 11, 2017Adams, David. "Child singing star Jackie Evancho balances school, career", Reuters, January 11, 2014; Aasen, Adam. "Teenage vocal sensation comes to The Palladium" , Current Night & Day, May 27, 2014; and Bonfiglio, Jeremy D. "Possessed by the music", The Herald-Palladium, December 17, 2015 graduating in 2018.Williams, Candy. "Jackie Evancho is all grown up and taking charge of her career", Triblive.com, accessed October 31, 2018
After Evancho saw the film version of the musical The Phantom of the Opera as a young girl,Mitchell, Gail. "Jackie Evancho on Landing Her First Billboard 200 Hit", Prometheus Global Media, November 29, 2010, accessed November 15, 2011 she began singing the songs at home.Fera, Jessica. "Pittsburgh Girl, America's Got Talent Star, Jackie Evancho Talks to WPXI" , WPXI, February 7, 2011, accessed February 27, 2012Kanny, Mark. "Jackie Evancho talks about school, music, life as a star", Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, October 14, 2011 Her parents did not recognize that her voice was unusual until her first talent competition, which she entered just before her eighth birthday.Moody, Nekesa Mumbi. "Jackie Evancho Balances Stardom and Childhood", Back Stage, Associated Press, June 28, 2011 accessed August 26, 2012 In that competition, Kean Idol, she placed second.Smith, Brady. "Let's Learn From the Past: Jackie Evancho", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 12, 2012 She began taking voice lessonsGerwig, Ashley. "Richland girl finding her voice", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 25, 2010, accessed October 17, 2012Dowd, Jason. , The Expressionist magazine, October 9, 2009, accessed February 11, 2012; and "Jackie Evancho at 9 yr old Interview" at 0.55, The Expressionist, Artist 1-on-1 Podcast, October 2, 2009Shriver, Jerry. "Jackie Evancho wows 'em on America's Got Talent", USA Today, August 12, 2010, accessed April 24, 2012 and singing at events,Stockey, Andrew. "Out of the Mouth of Children", Andrew Stockey's Blog, WTAE News 4, November 14, 2009, accessed December 29, 2012 churches and nursing homes, mostly in Pennsylvania.Lee, Anastasia. "Jackie Evancho: Biography, awards, appearances and training up to September 2010", AirPlay Direct, accessed October 16, 2011Hofstetter, Bethany. "Little girl from Pine carries big voice to Vegas", Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, December 31, 2008 She also started a YouTube channel, sang in the Children's Festival Chorus of Pittsburgh (now Pittsburgh Youth Chorus) during its 2008–09 season, and performed the title role in a 2009 school musical version of Little Red Riding Hood.
In 2009, Evancho competed at the 15th annual USA World Showcase Talent Competition in Las Vegas, where she placed second."Jackie Evancho press releases", Airplay Direct, accessed July 4, 2012 At the 2009 Kean Idol contest, she was again runner-up."America's Got Talent Sensation Jackie Evancho Was First a Kean Idol Sensation"], Northern Connection magazine, Swanson Publishing, September 10, 2009 issue, p. 7Rickel, Jeff. "Fourth-grade singer hitting high notes locally, nationally, globally", Your NorthHills, October 8, 2009, accessed April 23, 2019 In other 2009 talent contests,Fitzharris, Dustin. "Jackie Evancho takes time out to be a kid", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 29, 2011 she won the Golden Ribby Award – WonderworldTV"Jackie Evancho" , Stars2Come Web Magazine, June 10, 2010, accessed April 23, 2012 and the Talent Quest TV Show (both in Massachusetts)."Debra Crosby's Talent Quest TV Show" , Blip.tv, June 15, 2009, 5:07 of the clip, accessed October 15, 2011"Debra Crosby's Talent Quest TV Show" , Blip.tv, July 9, 2009, 26:10 of the clip, accessed October 15, 2011 Also in 2009, she sang "Ave Maria" in composer and conductor Tim Janis's PBS television special "Celebrate America"Kissel, Jennifer. "High school choirs 'Celebrate America' for WQED", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 15, 2009, accessed February 6, 2017 and performed in other concerts and TV shows with Janis,Semmes, Anne W. "Composer Tim Janis introduces a 9-year-old singing star at Nathaniel Witherell" , Connecticut Post, December 25, 2009, accessed October 4, 2010 who sought her out after seeing her on YouTube. She made various singing appearances around Pennsylvania in 2009 and 2010, including singing The Star-Spangled Banner at the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team's 2010 home opener.Lawson, Kyle. "Jackie Evancho's star continues to rise", Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, accessed May 11, 2012
Career
David Foster and Prelude to a Dream
Evancho first caught record producer David Foster's attention in 2009. She was selected for the regional semifinals of his "Hitman Talent Search Contest", finishing as runner-up,"David Foster and Friends Concert with Jackie Evancho and Christopher Dallo", YouTube, November 21, 2012; Dallo's winning performance and interview, YouTube, October 24, 2009; Evancho's runner-up performance and interview, YouTube, October 24, 2009Frederick, Brittany. "Jackie Evancho breathes new life into classical crossover music", AXS.com, September 7, 2014 and in October 2009 she sang in the "David Foster & Friends" concert at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.Harding, Margaret and Kyle Lawson. "Young Richland singer Evancho steals show on 'America's Got Talent'", Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, August 12, 2010