Jackie Evancho Releases New Album Awakening On September 23

NEW YORK, July 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Platinum-selling, 14-year-old vocal sensation Jackie Evancho will release her third studio album, Awakening, on September 23 coinciding with an international tour. Produced by Nick Patrick, Awakening is Evancho's first album under her recent worldwide recording agreement with Sony Music Masterworks imprint Portrait. In August, she will film a new PBS Special which is set to air in December.           

Awakening signals some new directions for Evancho. Without foregoing the beautiful and lush classical-crossover compositions for which Evancho has become famous, she also extends her stylistic reach with contemporary material on songs such as the haunting folk song "The Rains of Castamere" from HBO's hit series Game of Thrones.  She also takes a bigger step forward on her version of U2's "With or Without You." Moreover, Evancho sings several original songs including the anthem "Take Me There" and "Open Fields of Grace."

"Some of these songs are more on the pop side, and have a little faster beat than the songs I usually sing - but it was really fun."         

She also tackles the ethereal ballad "Memories" by the Dutch band, Within Temptation, in addition to the popular classic "Think of Me" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera.         

"That's how it started for me," says Evancho. "When I first saw the Phantom movie I was inspired by the way the actors sang and really wanted to try to sing like that too. Their passion must have got to me!"

Awakening's classical standards include Caccini/Vavilov's "Ave Maria" and Rachmaninoff's "Vocalise."

"I'd never sung Rachmaninoff's 'Vocalise' before," says Evancho. "It was fun for me because there aren't any words to learn, so I could focus on the beauty of the music."

Distinguishing Awakening from her previous albums, Evancho relays that there were "no limits" thematically or otherwise on the songs that she and Portrait placed on repertoire.

"Of course there are always going to be some classical pieces, but I wanted to reinvent the pop songs and make them my own," she says. "The only thing that mattered was that the song spoke to me."

She credits producer Patrick for his understanding of her goals on Awakening.

"We all wanted to find a balance that would present Jackie in all that she is as an artist," says Patrick. "'Vocalise' is very challenging and 'Ave Maria' requires the singer to really take control for it to sound beautiful. She is able to do that, but also make the big transition from the classical songs to more contemporary songs like 'With or Without You' or 'Memories.'  On this album, Jackie carries the listener with her quite seamlessly, naturally, convincingly, and believably. She's a remarkable singer for someone so young, but she'd be no more remarkable if she were 30."            

As for the production of Awakening, Patrick strived to capture Evancho's "emotional intensity and technique."

"It was great to shape everything around that voice, lighting it up atmospherically without stepping on it arrangement-wise," he says. "She has such an otherworldly quality of mystery, beauty, fantasy and wonderment, and we wanted everything to complement, not overpower, her voice."

Indeed, Evancho and Patrick have succeeded in re-energizing the classical-crossover genre.

"I feel that my singing style has matured, and it's easier for me to feel comfortable on stage," says the admittedly shy Evancho, who lately has taken up painting and is also trying her hand at songwriting.

"I have a lot to write about because I have a lot for which to be thankful," she says, looking ahead now to her forthcoming tour in support of Awakening.

"I'm excited about it," she concludes. "Tours equal tour bus, and tour bus equals fun!"

Throughout the Summer Jackie is also doing a special promotion with the tween clothing stores Justice.  She recorded a brand new song called "Go Time" which is available for download exclusively for free to Justice shoppers. She will also be featured in the Summer catazine as well as in stores on the video monitors.

About Jackie Evancho:
Evancho dazzled American television audiences at age 10 gaining global recognition with her stunning debut on NBC's America's Got Talent. She was immediately signed to Columbia Records where she released a string of successful recordings including O Holy Night, Dream With Me, Heavenly Christmas and Songs From The Silver Screen. She has since acted in Robert Redford's The Company You Keep alongside Susan Sarandon, Shia LeBeouf and Nick Nolte, and performed as a special guest in Cirque du Soleil's "One Night for One Drop" benefit at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. She also starred in the Fall 2012 GUESS Kids clothing campaign, and in June, she performed the classic film song "Over the Rainbow" at the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Evancho has also participated in the lighting of the National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C., where she delighted President and Mrs. Obama. She performed before 100,000 people in Russia with opera stars Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Sumi Jo prior to the opening of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, and has performed in Japan before the Royal Family at the Imperial Palace. Her first PBS special was one of the top pledge producing performances in PBS history. Her wide-ranging achievements caused Billboard to include her on its list of "music movers-and-shakers under the age of 21" in 2011 and 2012.

Sony Music Masterworks comprises Masterworks, Sony Classical, OKeh, Portrait, Masterworks Broadway and Flying Buddha imprints. For email updates and information please visit www.SonyMasterworks.com.

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SOURCE Portrait/Sony Music Masterworks