Posted April 3, 2018
DAYTON, OH (April 3, 2018) – On Friday, April 27, 2018 and Saturday, April 28, 2018 at 8 pm in the Mead Theatre of the Schuster Center, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Artistic Director and Conductor Neal Gittleman, will present the fifth concert in the 2017–2018 Kettering Health Network SuperPops Series, An Evening with Jackie Evancho.
Jackie Evancho’s meteoric rise is already a show business legend. YouTube video stardom led to her spectacular, against-the-odds appearance on America’s Got Talent in 2010 that delivered the heat and the promise of a new star, in a luminous performance of the beloved Puccini aria “O mio babbino caro.” Her breakthrough was transformed quickly into the basis for a serious career. In less than a decade, Jackie has made seven chart-topping albums and DVDs, headlined three PBS television specials, appeared in the film The Company We Keep at the request of her co-star Robert Redford, and tirelessly toured the world, singing for Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, other world leaders and her fans everywhere. In addition to her solo success, Jackie has recorded duets with such notable artists as Tony Bennett, Susan Boyle, Il Volo, Plácido Domingo, Barbra Streisand, Chris Botti, The Tenors and Joshua Bell.
The success of the “little blonde girl with the big voice” from Pittsburgh has defied the odds. Her first major-label recording, O Holy Night, made Jackie the top-selling debut artist of 2010, with the EP entering the Billboard 200 chart at No. 2 – the youngest solo artist ever to debut in the Top 5. With sales of more than a quarter of a million copies in its first week, O Holy Night was certified a platinum record, and Jackie Evancho became youngest performer ever to go platinum in the U.S.
Dream with Me was Jackie’s first full-length album for Sony Music, produced by David Foster, who first encountered her before her breakthrough, when she was only nine years old. Debuting at No. 2 in the Billboard 200, the album confirmed the success of O Holy Night, featuring duets with Barbra Streisand and Susan Boyle and bringing Jackie a platinum record and international acclaim – the youngest album performer ever to debut in the Top 5 in the U.K. The success of Dream with Me established a benchmark for how her career would unfold, a multimedia blitz that took her to television’s best-rated programs, a PBS special and a distinctive tour of sold-out top concert venues around the world.
Jackie Evancho sang for Pope Francis during his US visit and, a few years before, performed at the lighting of the National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C., where she sang for – and delighted – President Barack Obama and his family. Two months later, she was again invited to perform for the President and Congressional leaders during the National Prayer Breakfast. She was also invited to perform on Oprah Winfrey’s farewell special. In 2017, Jackie Evancho sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
For two nights this April, the Dayton Philharmonic has the distinct pleasure of welcoming this young artist with the voice of an angel to the Schuster Center stage for a dazzling performance with the power of the full orchestra behind her. Do not miss the chance to see this rising star right here in the Gem City!
Tickets for An Evening with Jackie Evancho range from $29 to $79 and are available at Ticket Center Stage (937) 228-3630 or online at www.daytonperformingarts.org. Senior, teacher and student discounts are available at the box office. For more information or to order subscriptions, including flexible subscription types that include performances by Dayton Philharmonic, Dayton Opera and Dayton Ballet, visit www.daytonperformingarts.org.