In an Instagram post, the powerhouse singer behind one of AGT‘s most viral moments looked back on where it all began.
Jackie Evancho‘s America’s Got Talent Audition remains an operatic masterclass and one of the most jaw-dropping moments in the show’s history.
At just 10 years old, the soon-to-be AGT icon delivered a soaring rendition of “O mio babbino caro” from the opera Gianni Schicchi that left then-Judges Piers Morgan, Sharon Osbourne, and Howie Mandel blown away. Evancho’s voice, rich with operatic control and emotional depth, rivaled singers many decades her senior — instantly marking her as a Season 5 frontrunner after she earned a standing ovation from all of the Judges.
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More than a decade later, Evancho revisited her AGT debut on Instagram, sharing a heartwarming video of her reaction to the performance that launched her into stardom.
Jackie Evancho stunned the Judges with her AGT debut
Although Evancho finished AGT Season 5 as the runner-up, her run was nothing short of spectacular as she dazzled the Judges and crowd at every stage. Evancho’s AGT performance of “O mio babbino caro” is where she hit the ground running, instantly transporting the audience to an esteemed opera house. The set stunned the Judges and hypnotized the audience as she delivered each angelic verse. The uproarious applause and standing ovation were rightly deserved after Evancho bewitched the competition with her dynamite debut.
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To say that Evancho’s performance was a grand slam is an understatement, but she remembers it slightly differently. In October 2023, an all-grown-up Evancho shared a video of herself reacting to the viral clip of her “O mio babbino caro” performance. It’s always surreal seeing a childhood video of yourself, and considering Evancho has evolved as a singer since her AGT run, she had some fascinating reflections.
Jackie Evancho looks back on her AGT audition
“Any time I hear my younger self talk, it’s a cringe,” a 23-year-old Evancho laughed as the throwback video began.
“I remember right before I was singing, I was shaking like a leaf,” Evancho remembered. “I was so scared. But then I started singing, and everything went black, actually. I used to say I was possessed by the music. You can hear my voice shaking a little; I was nervous.”
Evancho said once she had nailed the anxiety-inducing high note at the beginning of the song, she knew she could “crush” the rest of the performance.
“I was also just very lost and looking at people in the audience,” Evancho recollected. “And that’s something I’ve always done when I sing, is look at people closely. And I definitely did it to the Judges, yeah.”
“I just remember being so relieved when I finally finished the song and I did it well that I started crying on stage…” Evancho added.
