Burrone moves forward on ‘The Voice of Germany’
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ALPENA - Alpena native Breanna Burrone has advanced to the next stage of "The Voice of Germany" after a strong showing in the Battles round, with her 'Teamfights' episode scheduled to air on Friday.
Burrone, 28, who has lived in Germany for a decade, turned three of four coaches' chairs during her Blind Audition with a performance of "I Was Made for Lovin' You" by KISS. Coaches Rea Garvey, Nico Santos and Shirin David turned for her; Michi Beck and Smudo of Die Fantastischen Vier did not. She selected Garvey as her coach.
"I chose the Voice of Germany because I have lived in Germany for 10 years now," Burrone said. "It's been a dream of mine for a long time to finally do something big with my music and this seemed like the perfect opportunity."
Garvey, an Irish musician who has made Germany his home, praised her performance as "real, pure and emotional." He told her, "I started to search for weaknesses and where I can help you, but then I just thought, nope, she's got it all."
Shirin David highlighted Burrone's distinctive voice, energy, passion and warmth. Nico Santos said the coaches could not let the talent go without giving her a chance to show more.
In the Battles, Garvey paired Burrone with teammate Isabelle Trittel, who had turned all four chairs in her own Blind Audition. The pairings were announced during a surprise team trip to a villa at Wannsee near Berlin in early June. Garvey assigned them Aretha Franklin's "Think."
Burrone, who describes herself as more of a rock and blues singer, said the classic soul song was a challenge. The contestants had about four days to prepare, including vocal coaching and choreography.
"We had vocal coaching and choreography to learn, all within those four days," Burrone said. "I remember listening to the song over and over again on my headphones; it was one of the most stressful periods of my life."
During the first rehearsal, Garvey had them focus on the word "freedom" and the song's theme of self-determination. After the performance, Santos and David expressed surprise at Burrone's range. Santos described a high note sequence as a "Whoa" moment. David said she did not believe Burrone's journey on the show was over and indicated she would have chosen her if the decision were hers.
Garvey advanced Burrone, reducing his team from 16 contestants to nine. Burrone said the weight lifted when she returned to her apartment in Herborn afterward. She called the collaboration with Trittel a success, saying, "We couldn't have done it any better."
The Teamfights, a knockout round following the Blind Auditions and Battles, begin airing Nov. 13 on 'Sat.1' and the 'Joyn' streaming platform. At this stage, 36 contestants from the four coaches' teams compete for Hot Seats that lead to the semifinals. Former contestants serve as a jury for the duels.
Burrone's path to the show began when friends in Germany submitted an application on her behalf in May 2025. She advanced through online casting rounds in December 2025, completed an online interview in February and performed an in-person producer audition in Berlin in March before receiving the call for the televised Blind Audition.
She first studied German at Thunder Bay Junior High and Alpena High School, then spent an exchange year in Germany in 2016 through the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange scholarship. After a brief return to Alpena, she moved back permanently in 2018. She completed an orthodontics apprenticeship in German and now works as a biomedical technology supervisor for an American company in Germany.
"Growing up in an extremely musically gifted family has been a blessing, and I know how proud everyone is of me, even from afar," Burrone said. Her mother traveled to Berlin for the Blind Audition.
"To everyone back home in northern Michigan who has been cheering me on, thank you," she said. "Even though I'm an ocean away, knowing that people from my hometown are watching, supporting me, and rooting for me makes this whole experience feel a little less far from home. I'm so proud to be able to represent a little piece of Northern Michigan all the way over here in Germany."
The season of "The Voice of Germany" premiered Sept. 11 and performances are posted on the show's official YouTube channel.