The judges were skeptical from the start, but who could blame them?
Standing onstage in worn jeans, sweaters, and mismatched t-shirts, the “America’s Got Talent” contestants casually mentioned that they’d only been rehearsing for a few weeks and actually only met in person two days earlier. Alrighty then… “This is our first time singing for an audience ever,” said New Yorker Josh Page, alongside his fellow performers, Fernando Varela of Puerto Rico, and Hana Ryu of South Korea.
But whatever doubts Howard Stern, Howie Mandel, Mel B., and Heidi Klum felt were immediately vanquished the moment Josh launched into “Pie Jesu.â€
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His voice was strong, controlled, and truly reminiscent of a seasoned tenor.
Heidi’s expression says it all:
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Howie was equally confused.
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The group, Forte, formed just weeks ahead of the auditions for Season 8 of “America’s Got Talent” in 2013.
Fernando was impressed after watching a YouTube video of Josh performing with singer-songwriter Josh Groban from a couple years earlier, and with the addition of Hana, Forte was complete.
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“You walk out and you look like a bunch of schlubs … You’ve got the element of surprise here this time,”Howard said once the trio finished their audition. “Next time we see you, we’re gonna know that you’re not schlubs but you’re fantastic singers.â€
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Though the opera group went through some changes (Hana was replaced by Sean Panikkar), Forte continued advancing through the rounds, ending with a fourth-place finish – and a recording contract!
Watch the performance that got the whole thing started in the video below, and share to spread some love for their talent!
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