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Long Island opera singer to perform at inauguration
A Long Island opera singer is set to perform at Trump’s inauguration on Monday. Trump handpicked Christopher Macchio to perform the national anthem at the ceremony. FOX 5 NY’s Jodi Goldberg sat down with him about this once in a lifetime opportunity.
LONG ISLAND - Long Island opera singer Christopher Macchio will perform the national anthem at president-elect Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony next week.
Who is Macchio?
The backstory:
Macchio, the Long Island native, first got the attention of Trump on New Year's Eve in 2014, and he has performed for him numerous times since.
"He compared my voice to the legendary Luciano Pavarotti - and he said ‘your voice is magnificent - I can't tell whose better'," Macchio said.
The classical crossover vocalist will be taking on the honor from Lady Gaga, who performed the anthem at President Biden’s 2021 swearing-in ceremony. He’s joining the path of artists including Beyoncé and the late Jessye Norman, who have had the privilege to sing for past presidents.
Macchio told FOX 5 that he would sneak onto the stage at Sachem High School in Lake Ronkonkoma during his lunch break. He also said it’s where he found his voice - and where he performed in Sweeney Todd when he was a student.
"Through elementary school all the way through high school. I had two nicknames. Donald Trump and Mr. President," Macchio said.
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News coverage of Trump's 2017 inauguration
From inaugural fashion to Donald Trump's first day in office, here's a look at news coverage of the 2017 presidential inauguration.
The nicknames were derived from his fashion sense and precocious political awareness - now Macchio is singing for the man that embodies those names.
How did Macchio react?
What they're saying:
"The girl on the phone said, ‘I wanted to be the one to tell you that I just heard from the president himself that you’re his first and only choice to deliver the national anthem’." Macchio said. "I shouted yes, and pounded the marble counter top in my kitchen 20 times saying yes."
"I just try to deliver music in a way that has an emotional impact on people," Macchio said.
Founder and president of the Sachem Alumni Association, Chris Vaccaro, said "he never forgot where he came from".
The Sachem community will see him on a grand scale as his journey takes him more than 300 miles away for an honor of a lifetime.
"I hope to do justice when I join the pantheon of artists who have had this privilege before me," Macchio said.