With the support of President Donald Trump, Christopher Macchio has embarked on an astonishing musical journey. From topping the country music charts with a hit song, releasing a popular music album, making his Broadway debut, collaborating with Grammy-winning producer David Foster, and performing a duet with Andrea Bocelli, these are just a few of the ambitious goals set by the tenor from Holbrook, Long Island, New York.
“I hope to perform alongside Plácido Domingo, and perhaps even sing with José Carreras, but not with the intention of replacing the late great Luciano Pavarotti in the ‘Three Tenors’.” Macchio said in a recent interview with The Epoch Times.
“For me, the dream is to stand on stage with the three of us. The two Spaniards on either side of me.”
While for some, these aspirations may sound like a daydream, coming from Macchio, they are much more than mere fantasies.
“Several weeks ago, I performed in Washington while Andrea Bocelli was being honored.” Macchio shared.
“We stood on the same stage on the same night, although we didn’t sing a duet. I really hope to have a chance for a duet. I had the fortune of talking to his wife, Veronica, who told me, ‘We saw you at the inauguration. Your voice is magnificent.’ They were very, very kind.”
At the same time, Macchio is soaring as the “official tenor” for President Donald Trump. His performances include singing the national anthem at Trump’s 2025 presidential inauguration; making a headline appearance at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee after Trump’s speech, singing the iconic aria “Nessun dorma” from Puccini’s opera “Turandot”; and recently serving as the featured performer at a White House dinner for Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, where he sang “All I Ask of You” and “Nessun dorma” from the musical “The Phantom of the Opera.”
A decade ago, Macchio first caught Trump’s attention when he was invited to perform at a New Year’s Eve celebration at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, replacing Elton John. His performance that night was such a success that Rod Stewart, who was present at the dinner, invited Macchio to sing at his 70th birthday party. Following his performance at the White House memorial service for Trump’s brother, Robert Trump, in 2020, Macchio’s relationship with the Trump family solidified.
“Humbling is the word.” Macchio described being under the spotlight now, once a child intentionally hiding his singing talent.
“In school, for every lunch hour, I would quickly finish my meal and run to the library.” He recalled.
“Is there a better cheerleader than Donald Trump— the 45th and 47th President of the United States? I feel truly blessed and grateful.”
It wasn’t until Macchio took a required art course at Sachem High School North in New York that people discovered his hidden “instrument”— his voice.
“That was a complete turning point.” Macchio remembered acknowledging a choir director who heard him sing. “‘Kid, you have a gift, and you have a responsibility to share this gift,’ he told me. And from there, things were set in stone.”
It was a public revelation of what Macchio had already vaguely sensed.
“If I was alone at home or had a bit of my own time, I would step into the bathroom and use the acoustics to sing a few lines.” He explained.
“The first time I realized I could hit the notes correctly was when the movie ‘La Bamba’ was released in 1987— the story of Ritchie Valens. I sang a few songs from that movie, and it deeply moved me. My grandmother caught me singing in the bathroom, and she said, ‘Oh my.’ My uncle was the recognized singer in the family. She said, ‘You have to tell your uncle that you can sing.’ I said, ‘No.’ My uncle had formed a Beatles band in high school, so that was quite intimidating.”
It was Macchio himself who gradually realized how far his powerful vocal talent could extend.
“I didn’t grow up in what people would call a ‘highly cultured family,’ and my father didn’t hold any Metropolitan Opera season tickets.” Macchio said. “And while I want to indulge in that nostalgic narrative, like ‘every Sunday we would cook with my grandmother while Mario Lanza’s music played in the background,’ to be honest, those are stories that people evoke after hearing his voice.”
So how did Macchio unlock his unique talent?
“A rite of passage growing up is finding your roots through what popular culture presents. Of course, as an Italian-American, my roots were mob movies.” Macchio said.
“It was in ‘The Godfather Part III,’ where part of the plot is his son becoming an opera singer. I bought the movie soundtrack and privately mimicked all the performances. It was during that time that I first had this thought: ‘Wow, I can even imitate opera. So, I have to give myself credit.’ But I still kept it as a secret.”
After the choir director recognized Macchio’s talent, he went on to study at the renowned Usdan Summer Camp and learned from voice teacher John Kuhn at New York University, where his formal music education began.
“It was that professor—by the way, he’s a Holocaust survivor—who, back in the days when TV networks actually aired opera programs, was a star of the NBC Opera Theatre. It was he who started introducing me to Pavarotti’s records and similar things.” Macchio said.
Now, for the kid who once thought he would study law and become a conservative lawyer, the names and high-exposure performances no longer solely drive him.
“Anyone I respect and who has true expertise in singing is someone I am willing to collaborate with, as long as they also hold the right set of values.” Macchio said.
“Because to me, moral values and artistic values are inseparable parts of who I am as a person, as an artist. I also hope this can be reflected in any collaboration I engage in.”
Regardless of how the future unfolds, Macchio’s trajectory is already soaring high in the sky.
“When I flew to Washington D.C. for the inauguration, at one point the plane’s route allowed me to see, the Washington Monument, the National Mall, and the Capitol building all lined up perfectly as I descended, I thought, ‘Oh, this is the moment. With all humility, to be a supporter of our president, that’s what I’ve always wanted to do.'” He said.
“I didn’t even see it just as, ‘Oh, this is an honor for me.’ I sincerely wanted to do this for President Trump and for our country. So, to receive that call, I felt immensely grateful. After experiencing something like that, nothing else feels as risky.”
His most immediate arrangement is collaborating with Turnaround America to create their alternative Super Bowl halftime show.
“You can’t just complain about content creators you think might be toxic.” Macchio said.
“You have to be willing to provide an alternative that is credible and inspiring. This is an opportunity for people in the conservative political realm to step forward, support the arts, replace some content they may find inappropriate or objectionable, and support what they believe in.”
Following that, a new patriotic studio album—aimed to coincide with Macchio’s nationwide tour celebrating America’s 250th anniversary alongside Trump; a tour representing the President to India, South Asia, and Central Asia; and a series of concerts at the Kennedy Center, carefully crafted to pay homage to the rich musical heritage from the realms of classical music, Broadway, and the golden age of Hollywood— are all part of the plans for this soaring American tenor.