When Amira Willighagen got up on stage alongside an Italian legend, the audience didn’t know what to expect. The show was Classics is Groot, held for the first time in Pretoria, South Africa.
The 12-year-old girl was about to perform a duet with Patrizio Buanne – a famous Neopolitan-Austrian baritone opera singer.
But how could this tiny girl possibly hold her own against Buanne, who had spent a lifetime perfecting his vocals?
But when Amira began to sing, the powerful voice that erupted from her small frame instantly dispelled all doubts.
Her mature, operatic falsetto complemented Buanne’s baritone perfectly as they performed a moving duet of “O Sole Mio” – a classic Neopolitan opera song that was written in 1898.
Classics Is Groot, according to their event page on Facebook, was intended to be a “multilingual and colorful concert experience showcasing famous classical, pop and rock songs in a symphonic style.”
This was the first edition of the show, and its success ensured that it became an annual event for years to come.
A full orchestra provided the perfect backdrop for the unforgettable duet, but the opera singers stole the show.
Although there were many other performers on the stage that night, the duet between Amira and Buanne was definitely the most memorable.
The perfect harmony and synergy between 12-year-old Amira and 40-year-old Buanne is something truly incredible to witness.
Near the end of their performance, Buanne drops to his knees in a dramatic display while he and Amira’s voices reach a tear-jerking crescendo.
But, for longtime fans of Amira Willighagen, her perfect pitch and beautiful performance came as no surprise.
This wasn’t the first time Amira had been in the spotlight. In 2013, Amira wowed everyone when she performed on Holland’s Got Talent television series.
Even though the Duch singer was only nine years old at the time, she managed to cement her place in the competition with a beautiful rendition of Puccini’s “O Mio Babbino Caro” from the iconic opera Gianni Schicchi.
When she finished the song, the audience went wild and even gave her a standing ovation.
When cold-hearted Simon Cowell watched her performance, even he was impressed! Amira’s astounding natural talent is simply mindblowing for her age.
“Are you really nine years old? This is incredible,” Judge Chantal Janzen asked afterward.
But what’s even more mindblowing is that Amira has never had formal vocal training.
Amira is a self-taught opera singer. She learned how to sing from watching online YouTube videos! But, it seems that talent runs in this family:
“My brother Vincent plays violin, and I also wanted to do something. So I thought, ‘I’m going to sing’… and then I heard opera songs, which I found very beautiful and that’s when I started singing,” Amira said.
Although Amira has worked hard to perfect her singing voice, it’s obvious that she has a natural talent.
We’re certain that this young star will go from strength to strength – she’s definitely one to watch!
In 2017 and 2018, Amira was invited back to the Classics Is Groot concert series to perform once again. Even though she’s the youngest artist on the show, she continues to sing her heart out and stun the crowd.
And it’s the original Classics Is Groot performance in 2016 that catapulted her into the spotlight. The video has amassed more than 20 million views and 80,000 likes to date.
To see Amira’s showstopping performance with Patrizio Buanne, watch the video below!
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