AP
UTICA, N.Y. — When “The Voice” kicks off its season premiere on Monday, we’ll be tuning in to hear local voices.
Our friends at NBC have informed us that Sofronio Vásquez will be one of the contestants on the singing competition’s 26th season.
Vasquez is originally from the Philippines and currently lives in Utica.
At the age of 31, he established his career as a dentist.
According to a biography of Vasquez provided by NBC, “While studying for his dental license in the Philippines, he decided to try his hand at music. Shortly after this decision, Sofronio was struck by tragedy when his father suddenly passed away.”
Vásquez’s biography states that he moved to the United States to make his late father proud and to pursue his passion for music more seriously.
According to his profile, since moving to the US, “he has competed at the famous Apollo Theater, his cover of ‘Nothing’s Going to Change My Love For You’ has over 1 million views on TikTok, and his performance of ‘That’s What Friends Are For’ has over 9.5 million views on Facebook.”
Now he’s ready to take to the stage on The Voice.
In addition to Gwen Stefani and Reba McEntire, Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé will also be in the coaching seats.
Warning: slight spoilers here.
Vasquez secured her spot on the team during the blind auditions.
Tune in to The Voice this Monday at 8pm on WKTV-NBC, and it’s also available on the Peacock app.
For more on Vásquez, click here.