A classically trained tenor of Brazilian descent, Nathan Pacheco entered the world in Virginia during 1980. His mother worked as a piano instructor, so he began piano and violin instruction at a young age. Voice study grew serious during high school and continued through his enrollment at Brigham Young University, from which he earned a music degree. Drawn to languages and cultures, he lived in Brazil for two years following graduation, then pursued further training in Italy that included appearances with the Opera Festival of Lucca. Upon returning to the United States he had gained fluency in speaking, singing, writing, and composing across English, Portuguese, Italian, and Spanish.
His first major opportunity arrived when three fellow singer-composers joined him in crafting lyrics and supplementary music for multiple Yanni pieces—“Adagio,” “Tribute,” “Almost a Whisper,” “Enchantment,” “Secret Vows,” and “In the Mirror”—intended for the Voices project. The assignment produced extended visibility as he performed those selections with Yanni and the accompanying orchestra on two PBS broadcasts and an extensive concert itinerary.
Under the Disney Pearl imprint of Walt Disney Records and working with producer Leo-Z, Pacheco issued his self-titled debut album in autumn 2012, which established him as a leading classical crossover vocalist. The 2017 release Higher gathered several of his preferred spiritual selections, among them “How Great Thou Art,” “Nella Fantasia,” and “Amazing Grace.” Two years later came the album My Prayer, highlighted by the track “Laying It All Down.”
