Jackie Evancho

Like Hayley Westenra, Charlotte Church, and Sarah Brightman, soprano Jackie Evancho operates in the classical crossover realm. The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native (who also plays violin and piano) wowed both the judges and the audience during the fifth season of America’s Got Talent. Evancho began taking vocal lessons in 2008 at the age of eight. By 2010, she had already breezed through a local singing contest, started her own YouTube channel, released an album, and held the record as the world's youngest opera singer. Her independent debut, Prelude to a Dream, was released in 2009, followed by the holiday EP/DVD O Holy Night, the latter of which arrived via Columbia Records. In spring 2011, Evancho released Dream with Me, her full-length (non-seasonal) debut, which was produced by David Foster and featured a mix of arias, show tunes, and pop classics. Jackie Evancho: Dream with Me in Concert, a live performance of the songs that first captured the hearts of her audiences, along with new classical crossover selections, followed that fall. Released just a few months after Dream with Me, the ten-track Heavenly Christmas revisited the yuletide splendor of 2009's O Holy Night.