A screen shot of Federica Falzon singing on Rai Uno’s programme Ti Lascio Una Canzone.

Hours after 11-year-old singer Federica Falzon won the Italian junior singing contest Ti Lascio Una Canzone she was approached by several agencies wanting to sign her up, according to her voice coach Gillian Attard.

The young star has been chosen to represent Malta in this year’s Junior Eurovision, which will be held on the island, it was announced last night.

The mezzo soprano and her singing partner, tenor Vincenzo Carni, are also planning to hold a concert in Malta “after May”, Ms Attard said.

“It’s all very exciting,” said Ms Attard, who was present when Federica wowed Italian and Maltese audiences on Saturday night with her powerful voice.

Federica and her parents, David and Iris, are still coming to terms with the fact she won the 2014 edition of the popular Italian televised competition aired on Rai Uno. The duo sang Un amore cosi grande and Il mare calmo della sera.

During the Saturday night programme, Federica and Vincenzo won five of eight shows and placed second in the other three.

“I didn’t really expect to win. We thought we might take part twice and return home and did not think we would get to the end,” said Federica. Her mother said it was not easy juggling the need to fly between Malta and Italy for the duration of the programme.

“But it was so worth it and we are so happy,” her mother said, adding that the family was now preparing for next Saturday’s competition when Federica and Vincenzo will compete against the winners of past editions of the programme.

Federica, who landed in Malta last night, thanked all those who supported her throughout this incredible adventure.

She is now looking forward to an exciting future – and she dreams of singing with tenor Joseph Calleja.

“I thank all those who stayed in on Saturday nights to watch me,” she said as she urged fans to keep following her.

In a comment posted on her Facebook page she wrote: “I want to thank all those who supported me all the way, all the Italians who have voted for us since the first programme… my family and our friends for their support, the government of Malta, radio, newspapers and TV presenters for their promotion and, last but not least, I owe this success to God who provided me with this gift, my singing partner Vincenzo Carni and my vocal teacher Gillian Attard who discovered my talent.”

In an interview with Times of Malta published in February, Ms Attard had explained Federica’s parents first took their daughter for training in country music.

“When I heard her, I immediately told her parents that she was a born soprano. They thought I was pulling their legs… the way she controls her breath to get the sound right is just like a 30-year-old woman would. It’s a talent she was born with. Her voice is a rare find,” she had said.

Meanwhile, Culture Minister Owen Bonnici and his Opposition counterpart and MEP candidate Francis Zammit Dimech issued statements to congratulate her, while several people did the same on social media.

“Another young Maltese talent making us proud, well done Federica, you were great,” one person wrote on timesofmalta.com, while another wrote: “Incredible voice... amazing”.