Among pint-sized opera singer Victory Brinker’s early public appearances were the openings of the two Westmoreland Art Nationals exhibitions in spring 2019.

“Her dad got in touch with us and asked if she could perform,” said Diane Shrader, executive director of the Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival, which sponsors the exhibitions.

Victory was 7 at the time.

“Here was this tiny, little girl with this big voice,” Shrader said. “One of my favorite songs is Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a Wonderful World.’ She sang that, and I cried. I’m tearing up now just thinking about it.”

Entertainers at those receptions sometimes fade into the background, Shrader said. Not Victory.

“People stopped and listened; she was very well-received,” she said. “We were lucky to have her.”

Tribune-Review Opera singer Victory Brinker of Unity was 7 when she sang at the 2019 opening of the Westmoreland Art Nationals Westmoreland County Community College exhibition.  

In December 2019, Victory appeared in Pittsburgh Public Theatre’s “Pittsburgh Lights & Legends” variety show, her first professionally contracted job.

On March 28, Guinness World Records announced that the “Lights & Legends” gig made Victory the world’s youngest opera singer (female) at 7 years and 314 days old.

The Unity resident, now 10, has covered a lot of professional ground since then, but Guinness recognition wasn’t something she or her family sought — even after she made a big splash on Season 16 of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.”

On the strength of her operatic arias, Victory made it to the Sept. 14 finale. Even though magician Dustin Tavella was ultimately crowned champion, Victory earned high praise — including a Golden Buzzer from all four judges and host Terry Crews that sent her straight from auditions to the live rounds.

Following the show’s run, she released a four-song Christmas EP and performed in area Christmas concerts.

She also sang “Silent Night” on the Dec. 15 segment of the “Dr. Phil” talk show.

Courtesy of “Dr. Phil” @first_name_basis Victory Brinker of Unity sang “Silent Night” on the Dec. 15 segment of the “Dr. Phil” television show. Shown applauding her are host Phil McGraw (right) and his wife, Robin.  

Robin McGraw, the wife of show host Phil McGraw, “really enjoyed her on ‘AGT’ and they invited her to come on and share her story and how she became an opera singer,” said Victory’s mother, Christine Brinker. “ ‘Silent Night’ is Robin’s favorite.”

Victory’s father, Eric Brinker, and siblings joined in via Zoom.

“We got to spend a little time with (the McGraws) after the show,” Christine said. “They were very genuine and incredibly encouraging to Victory.”

Road to the record

Also in December, Victory’s family was contacted by the Italian television show, “Lo Show Dei Record,” which showcases people seeking to become official Guinness World Records title-holders.

Victory, her mother and one sister traveled to Italy to tape Victory’s appearance Feb. 14. The show aired March 27.

“It’s a big process to get vetted for (a Guinness record),” Christine said. “The process started in December.”

The Guinness organization needed to see Victory’s first professional contract, which was for the Lights & Legends show.

“It’s so nice that it was something local,” Christine said.

The Brinkers also had to provide videos, along with proof that, since 2019, Victory has been doing at least four to five professional, contracted appearances per year.

Apart from television appearances, international travel and world records, Christine said, Victory leads the life of a pretty normal 10-year-old.

At home, she’s just part of the crowd — one of 11 children, ranging in age from 7 to 30. The two oldest are the Brinkers’ biological children; the others are adopted.

Tribune-Review Victory Brinker (right), then 4, looks back while holding the hand of her father, Eric Brinker, at home in Unity on April 22, 2016. At right is her sister, Eternity, then 2.  

Christine, who has an alternative and holistic health practice, accompanies Victory on the road. Eric, who is the pastor of Impact Life Church in Acme, manages things at home.

“We have six at home, but my big kids who have moved out are back here all the time, especially on Sunday,” Christine said. “Sunday is just a big, long family day.”

Victory is home-schooled with some of her younger siblings and in her free time likes to play the piano, write stories and roller skate.

“She’s one of those kids, from the time she gets up in the morning until the time she goes to bed, she’s always making something, creating something, always busy,” Christine said.

“She’s also getting much more into her acting,” she added. “She signed with an acting manager and is going to be signing with an agent soon.”

Victory already has had a couple of acting offers, but they didn’t work out because of her singing commitments.

Singing might always come first, though. Victory started showing an interest in music at about age 2 and from then on, Christine said, she was always singing.

She was about 6 when she asked her mother about the highest note that could be sung, and Christine played her an opera aria.

Victory was intrigued and soon began learning arias in various languages.

“As soon as she learned ‘Ave Maria,’ she said, ‘Put me in a talent show,’ ” her mother told the Tribune-Review in 2020.

From local talent shows, fairs and festivals, she moved to bigger stages like Lights & Legends. She also has sung the national anthem for the Pittsburgh Pirates and appeared in New York City at Carnegie Hall and the Apollo Theater.

Producers of NBC’s “Little Big Shots” saw performances posted on her Instagram account and invited her to a 2020 episode of that show, which in turn led to the “AGT” audition.

And the beat goes on.

“I have a new song coming out. It’s different, but it’s the same,” Victory said.

“It’s a really cool song she’s just recorded that’s coming out really soon,” Christine said. “It’s still opera, but it’s definitely something different that she really enjoyed doing.”

She has two upcoming Pittsburgh-area charity events: April 5 with Aria412, a cabaret opera and musical theater showcase, and April 9 at a celebrity basketball game at the Penn State Greater Allegheny campus in McKeesport, hosted by Penn State and Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

“I’ll be singing and coaching a bunch of adults,” Victory said matter-of-factly.

Shrader said she knew upon first hearing Victory sing that her preternatural talent would take her far. But it wasn’t all nature — there was a lot of nurture involved, too.

“She’s a wonderful little girl from a wonderful family,” Shrader said. “She may not have had all this opportunity had she not been with Christine and Eric.

“She’s already known internationally. I think she’ll continue to grow and be a world wonder.”

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