Nathan Pacheco
Nathan Pacheco is a featured soloist with Yanni Voices. He is a trained operatic tenor voice who sings with power, sensitivity, passion, romance, and fire. Yanni claims that Nathan connects with popular music through his musical and emotional connections. Nathan is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who was born in Washington, D.C., U.S.A., but who has Brazilian roots. Nathan claims that the spirit of Brazil is in his voice and vocal renditions. Pacheco, a returned LDS missionary and 2005 BYU graduate in vocal performance, is one of four "Voices" on Yanni's current tour, introducing vocals to what has up to this point been strictly instrumental music.
While preparing to attend the Manhattan School of Music, Pacheco said he heard a speaker at BYU challenge his audience to chase their dreams. Pacheco called the school and told them he had decided not to come and instead went to Los Angeles to pursue a performance career. There he met Ric Wake, who introduced him to Yanni (Mormon Times).
Beginning in 2009, Nathan ate, drank, and slept music while living at the Yanni-Wake Entertainment compound in West Palm Beach, Florida. Nathan writes his own music, and he has added lyrics and more music to some of Yanni's best-known instrumentals.
In 2012, he joined Katherine Jenkins on her UK tour with the London Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed for Prince Charles at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., on two PBS television specials, and in the ABC/Disney Parks Christmas Parade. Pacheco also released his self-titled debut album in 2012.
In 2013 he performed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir at the LDS Conference Center at Temple Square in Salt Lake City on the occasion of Mormon Pioneer Day (July 24th) with two performances on July 19 and 20, 2013. The final performance was streamed live for the enjoyment of as many people as possible.
He performed twice at the 95th birthday celebration for Church president Russell M. Nelson held on September 6, 2019, at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. He first sang "Nessun Dorma" and then in a duet with Donny Osmond he sang "The Prayer." In an interview with the Church News, Pacheco recalled a prior personal experience with President Nelson:
- Pacheco sang at a special Christmas celebration for the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve, and many other General Authorities last December. Following his performance, Pacheco said, President Nelson was supposed to speak.
- “But instead of doing that, he just took me by the arm and he looked me straight in the eyes. He started asking about me and my family,” Pacheco described.
- “Here is the prophet who must be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and he had a message he was going to share with everyone. But instead, he kind of went off course of what he was planning to do and he just took time for ‘the one,’” Pacheco said. “I was and continue to be very touched by that.”
Nathan married Katie McKinney in 2009.
External Links
More at MormonMusic.org
