American tenor Christopher Macchio is set to perform at the White House state dinner honoring President Xi Jinping during his first visit to the United States in over a decade. The event, scheduled for Wednesday evening local time, will be hosted by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.

Macchio, often described as “America’s tenor,” announced his participation on social media shortly after Xi's arrival at Joint Base Andrews. The Chinese president and his wife, Peng Liyuan, were welcomed with traditional military honors, including a 21-gun salute, a red carpet, an honor guard, and a flyover by two B-1 Lancer bombers. The visit marks a reciprocal occasion following Trump’s earlier trip to Beijing in May.

The state dinner is expected to include a range of American guests, reportedly featuring notable technology leaders such as Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, and Jeff Bezos. Macchio, 48, hails from New York and has been a frequent performer at events associated with Trump. He first gained attention performing at the Mar-a-Lago New Year’s Eve gala in 2015, where he stepped in as a last-minute replacement.

Since then, Macchio has maintained close ties with the former president, appearing at multiple rallies and key occasions. He sang at Trump’s 2025 second inauguration and performed the national anthem at various campaign events. In June, he appeared at the Freedom 250 rally in Washington, and two weeks ago, he was featured at the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas. Macchio also performed at the funeral of Robert Trump, the president’s brother, who passed away in 2020.

Trump has publicly lauded Macchio’s vocal abilities, comparing him to the late Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti and praising his voice as “unbelievable” and “magnificent.” Over the past two years, Macchio has performed at several high-profile venues including Madison Square Garden and locations in Pennsylvania, often supporting Trump’s political events.

The state dinner performance underscores a cultural dimension to Xi's visit, which carries significant diplomatic weight amid ongoing complexities in U.S.-China relations.