Jill O'Rourke
Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
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| July 13, 2022 SIGN IN TO SAVE POST
Photo by Allen Berezovsky/WireImage, Photo by Scott Casey Durkin/NBCReading Time: 3 minutes
If you watched violinist Alex Rivers audition for America’s Got Talent this week, you might have been reminded of a few past acts on the show. He’s not the first violinist to take the stage and bring lively energy to their performances. But will he go as far as his predecessors?
Meet America’s Got Talent‘s Newest Violinist, Alex Rivers
Alex, a 26-year-old violinist from Las Vegas, actually had two auditions for the show. The first time, Simon Cowell said he hated the track he chose, and suggested the musician should return with something else. So Alex came back the next day to perform “New Rules” by Dua Lipa.
He played on a colorful light-up violin and showed off some dance moves as he performed. Alex had the audience dancing and clapping along as he owned the stage. He ultimately earned a standing ovation from Cowell for the performance.
Alex commented on the YouTube video of his performance, writing that he “never in a billion years thought that my life would leave playing on a Vegas sidewalk for passerbys.” He encouraged fans to listen to his recent album Impact.
Can Alex go as far in the competition as past violinists like him? Let’s take a look back at their AGT journeys and success after the show.
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1. Lindsey Stirling
This violinist auditioned for Season 5 of the show in 2010, when she was 23 years old. She told the judges she played “hip-hop violin,” going on to play the instrument while moving around the stage, at one point bending backwards while she played.
The judges loved Lindsey’s performance and gave her three “yes” votes to move on. She ended up making it to the Quarterfinals, where she was eliminated. However, that didn’t keep Lindsey from success. She’s released five albums, performed on a number of tours, and racked up over 13 million YouTube subscribers.
SEE ALSO: ‘AGT’ ALUM ANGELICA HALE CELEBRATES A HUGE CAREER MILESTONE
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2. Brian King Joseph
This electric violinist auditioned on Season 13 of America’s Got Talent in 2018 at age 27, sharing that he was diagnosed with a nerve disease that affected the feeling in his hands and feet. He went on to perform DJ Snake and Major Lazer’s “Lean On.”
Brian earned four “yes” votes from the judges and made it all the way to the Finals, finishing the competition in third place. He later returned to compete on AGT: The Champions, and he’s released several singles from his time on the show. He also shares videos on his YouTube channel, where he has 177,000 subscribers.
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3. Tyler Butler-Figueroa
This young violinist was 11 years old when he auditioned for Season 14 in 2019. He shared that he had battled leukemia from a young age and was bullied in school. Tyler performed Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger,” earning the Golden Buzzer from Simon Cowell.
Tyler made it to the Top 10 of Season 14, and he later returned for the second season of AGT: The Champions, finishing in third place. He’s now 14 and about to start high school. Tyler frequently posts performances on his YouTube and Instagram accounts.
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