BIOGRAPHY - ANDREA BOCELLI

Andrea Bocelli was born in the Italian town of Lajatico in 1950, to parents Alessandro and Edi. The family owned a farm, which also included a small vinyard. Bocelli's parents noticed his musical talents and entered him into piano lessons at the age of six. His love of music was well known throughout the family - his relatives always asked him to sing for them during family gatherings. Later, when asked why he became a singer, Bocelli replied, "I don't think one really decides to be a singer - other people decide it for you by their reactions." At just 12 years old, Bocelli was blinded during a soccer accident.

After finishing his primary education, Bocelli began studying at the University of Pisa. However, he wasn't enrolled as a music major. He actually studied and graduated as a Doctor of Law. He worked as a court appointed lawyer for one year, before deciding to take a shot at a career in music. Bocelli studied music with Franco Corelli, and performed at night clubs and piano bars to earn money to pay for his lessons. Due to a series of fortunate events, Bocelli's musical career began to skyrocket. When famed Italian rock singer Zucchero held tenor auditions for a song titled "Miserere", Bocelli submitted his demo tape. Zucchero intended for Luciano Pavarotti to perform, which he later did, but Bocelli's audition caught the attention of Pavarotti himself to which he said to Zucchero "Thank you for writing such a wonderful song. Yet you do not need me to sing it - let Andrea sing 'Miserere' with you, for there is no one finer." Afterward, when Zucchero toured Europe, Bocelli performed in place of Pavarotti and earned great fame.

After meeting and becoming good friends with Pavarotti, Pavarotti invited Bocelli to perform in his high profile and star-studded annual charity gala concert. Bocelli, earned critical acclaim and many new fans. In 1993, Bocelli signed with Inseieme/Sugar and began his recording career. His first album, II Mare Calmo Della Sera debuted in the Italian Top Ten and later went platinum. His second album, Bocelli (1995), went double-platinum in Italy. Since beginning his recording career, Bocelli has recorded 22 albums, including one "best-of" album and a DVD of Pope John Paul II.

The first “classical” recording dates back to 1997 and was entitled Viaggio Italiano. It was a Caterina Caselli Sugar project undertaken with the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Vladimir Fedoseyev. The album booklet read as follows: the tenor Andrea Bocelli in a concert of well known operatic arias and classical songs, an imaginary journey through the mythical world of opera and the Italian operatic tradition, the only true cultural heritage of the great mass emigration to the United States. This record is an homage to the decisive role of the Italian emigration to North America in safeguarding and spreading the Italian musical tradition throughout the world. An homage and a cultural recognition for millions of émigrés who kept alive and spread throughout the New World one of the most important Italian cultural legacies: the opera, the melodrama, the Bel canto and, more in general, the melodic tradition and the Italian popular song (…)”. From Puccini to Schubert, from Verdi to Donizetti (Nessun Dorma, Ave Maria, La donna è mobile, Una furtiva lacrima and many others), with a pleasing list of masterfully performed classic Neapolitan songs. In 1999, Bocelli's duet with Celine Dion titled "The Prayer" earned the pair a Golden Globe for Best Original Song. It also earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. It also earned two Grammy nominations in 2000: Best Pop Colaboration with Vocals and for Best Male Pop Vocal.

November 21 and 22, 2008, Bocelli was amongst a quartet of soloists (soprano Sabina Cvilak, mezzo-soprano Kate Aldrich and bass Alexander Vinogradov) to sing Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle, conducted by Plácido Domingo, at the Washington National Opera in Washington, DC. Bocelli sang twice in the piece and later the two famous tenors sang The Pearl Fishers duet which would be the first aria they had ever sang together. November 25 and 26 he starred along side soprano Verónica Villarroel in an opera in concert of Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana at the "Municipal Auditorium" in San Antonio, Texas. He later held a concert at "Atrio de la Catedral" in Campeche, Mexico, on November 28, where he sang songs from "Incanto" as well as some of his Spanish hits, such as Besame Mucho, Somos Novios, Amapola and Por ti Volare, the Spanish version of Con te Partiro.

May 27, 2009, Bocelli sang "Honour Him", from the Gladiator soundtrack, followed by the Champions League theme song, which is based on "Zadok the Priest" by Handel, during the opening ceremony of the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final. To date, he has recorded over 20 pop and classical albums as well as seven complete operas. He has sold over 65 million albums worldwide. Some of his most popular albums include Romanza and Sogno. In Andrea Bocelli’s case it is by his recordings that his voice can be guaranteed to be kept constantly up to the minute for generations to come. As Caruso did at the start of the last century, so Bocelli continues to do at the beginning of the millennium.

Visit artist website at www.andreabocelli.com