Adi Arora ’26 appeared on the 29th season of NBC’s The Voice: Battle of Champions on March 2, performing Bruno Mars’ “It Will Rain” for his blind audition. His performance prompted coaches John Legend and Kelly Clarkson to turn their chairs.
Arora, who studies computer science in the College of Arts and Sciences with a minor in business, shared that he submitted his original audition for The Voice because of pressure from a friend from home.
“She had actually called me on the phone, multiple times, and she was like, you need to audition for The Voice. You need to,” said Arora.
While Arora knew the chances were slim of being selected to perform on the show, he submitted an audition tape, and after many rounds of auditions, he was eventually selected for a blind audition on the show.
When asked about being able to perform on The Voice, Arora called it “just the craziest thing of all time.”
Arora began his musical career at a young age when he learned to play piano, guitar and later saxophone in middle and high school. He shared that during his childhood, music helped him connect with his older brother, who has Down syndrome and is nonverbal.
“The thing that kind of brought us together all the time was just listening to music and singing,” said Arora.
He shared that he focused primarily on instrumental music until his sophomore year of high school, when his friends encouraged him to join an a cappella group with them.
Without vocal training, Arora discovered his natural ability to sing and developed a love for a cappella, eventually leading him to audition and join Last Call, an all-male a cappella group at Cornell, in the fall of his first year.
Arora described the members of Last Call as being some of his closest friends at Cornell.
Matthew Merril ’26, a member of Last call, said that Arora was not only a talented singer in the group but also a strong leader, serving as the group’s music director for a term where he arranged and taught the music for the group’s concerts.
In addition to his a cappella group, Arora also performs in a band, Sonder, made up of other Cornell students.
Ryder Jones ’26, drummer in Sonder, pointed out that besides Arora’s talent, what makes him stand out is his character.
“He’s one of those guys who’s always encouraging everyone around him and bringing great energy into the room,” said Jones. “When I found out he was going to be on The Voice, I was just pumped for him. Anyone who’s heard him sing knows how special his voice is, so it’s really cool to see him get that kind of opportunity and recognition.”
For his episode premiere, Arora gathered his friends in Willard Straight Hall’s Memorial Room. The room held sentimental meaning for Arora because the location is where Last Call holds their auditions.
Merril shared that watching Arora perform on The Voice was a surreal experience.
“Seeing everyone in the room on the edge of their seat and then the collective cheer when he got two chair turns was unlike anything I’ve experienced on campus,” said Merril.
Arora ultimately selected John Legend to be his coach for the season and noted that among other reasons, his similar background, attending an Ivy League university and performing in an a cappella group at the University of Pennsylvania, led him to feel connected to Legend.
“His list of achievements just goes on and on and on,” Arora said. “I think there were just so many cool things that I felt like I could learn from [him].”
Cornell students have opportunities to hear Arora sing on campus before he graduates. Arora will be performing with his band Sonder in the Big Red Battle of the Bands on March 21 at 3 p.m. in Bailey Hall. Additionally, Last Call’s semesterly concert will be on May 1 at 7 p.m. in Statler Auditorium.
After graduation, Arora plans to move to New York City, where he will pursue a job related to his computer science degree and simultaneously work on his music career.
His message to fellow student musicians at Cornell is to pursue every opportunity to perform and have confidence in their abilities.
“If you really want to do it and you really love music that much and you want people to hear you, you should never hold yourself back,” said Arora.
Arora’s season of NBC’s The Voice: Battle of Champions airs every Monday night at 9 p.m. E.T.
Sophia Koman is a member of the Class of 2027 in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She is a staff writer for the News department and can be reached at skoman@cornellsun.com.
