Christopher Macchio

Christopher Macchio was raised in a middle-class family in Long Island, New York. After spending most of his childhood aspiring to practice law, his voice was discovered almost by accident during a stint in his High School chorus. Once his talent became known, Christopher was encouraged to develop the skills necessary to perform on stage, and use his gift for music to connect with and inspire audiences from all walks of life. He often cites this transition from academics to artistic expression as the most profound change of his life, and credits the privilege of performing as having enhanced his life tremendously.

Development

A boy alto in his youth, Christopher admits to lacking the temperament to perform solo until high school.   Inspired by the legendary tenor Mario Lanza, Mr. Macchio imbued into his singing a unique blend of bel-canto artistic grace with Lanza's  sincere emotive power.  Once the operatic tenor quality of his voice was discovered at 15, he began serious exposure to singing at the USDAN Center for the Performing Arts, where he was provided private lessons with NYU voice instructor and Munich State Opera legend John Kuhn.  It was through these vocal studies that he was exposed to other legendary tenors like Sergio Franchi, Giuseppe DiStefano, and the incomparable Luciano Pavarotti. In 1996 Mr. Macchio began studies at the Manhattan School of Music Conservatory under Metropolitan Opera baritone Theodor Uppman.  In addition to studying with Metropolitan Opera coaches Bob Cowart and Elizabeth Roberts, he has continued studies with Professor Kuhn, preparing a wide variety of art songs, arias, and show tunes for annual studio recitals held by the Bronx Conservatory of Music.  In addition to close collaboration with a diverse field of voice teachers and coaches, Mr. Macchio has absorbed a wealth of wisdom from myriad published and oral sources, exemplifying the ethos of the late mega-tenor Luciano Pavarotti, that everyone ought “to be their own best teacher”.  In 2000 Mr. Macchio appeared as the principal tenor role of Arturo in Bellini’s I Puritani, a production of NYC’s Opera Nova company where his performance was described as “brando-esque” by Manhattan’s West Sider Newspaper.  In 2004 Christopher crossed over into the Broadway repertoire by performing the leading role of Tony in Long Island - based Creative Ministries’ production of Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story.  Since then Mr. Macchio has performed for countless special events and dignitaries, including the Vice President of the United States, the Governor of Massachusetts, and former NYC mayor and presidential candidate Rudolph W. Giuliani.  In the spring of 2010, Mr. Macchio became a founding member of a new group called Bell’Aria; a joint project between EMI Records and PBS Television to celebrate the richness of the Italian-American musical tradition. Now in 2011, Mr. Macchio has been named the official National Tenor of UNICO, a nationwide organization dedicated to the furtherance of Italian-American interests throughout the world. It is through working on the various musical and staging elements of this assortment of ambitious projects that Mr. Macchio is currently expanding his artistic repertoire, and enhancing his ability to connect with the audiences he loves so much.

Outlook

After successfully competing in a number of prestigious international opera competitions, Christopher Macchio is now embarked on a solo performance and recording career.   It is his deepest aspiration to bring the music  of Mario Lanza and other legendary tenors like Luciano Pavarotti, to a new generation of listeners. Christopher recently released his debut independent album, produced by Grammy Award-Winning producer Tony Camillo, of “Midnight Train to Georgia” fame.  To promote his album, entitled “Dolci Momenti (Sweet Moments), Mr. Macchio will be performing a series of concert tour dates across the United States throughout 2011, including notable venues like Patsy’s of midtown Manhattan, Met’s Citi Field, and Feinstein’s Cabaret Theatre NYC’s Loews Regency Hotel.

George Pettignano

George Pettignano has a deep love for singing and performing. At a young age, George started entertaining on the nightclub circuit in Brooklyn. George performed in two Broadway shows,and then went to Hollywood and became a stuntman. Now he is back to his first love which is singing and entertaining audiences. Show after show, his electrifying voice keeps the audience always clamoring for more!