Andrea Bocelli

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Andrea Bocelli


Img_capt = Andrea Bocelli at Live 8 concert in Versailles on July 2, 2005.
Img_size = 200px
Landscape =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name =
Alias =
Born = birth date and age|1958|9|22
Origin = Lajatico, Italy
Instrument = Vocals, keyboards, saxophone, flute, trumpet, trombone, guitar, drums
Voice_type = Tenor
Genre = Classical crossover, operatic pop
Occupation
Years_active = 1980-present
Label = Sugar, Decca
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.andreabocelli.com Andrea Bocelli]
Current_members =
Past_members =
Notable_instruments =

Andrea Bocelli, Grande Ufficiale Ordine al merito della Repubblica Italiana OMRI [ [http://www.quirinale.it/onorificenze/DettaglioDecorato.asp?idprogressivo=174377&iddecorato=173835 Quirinale.it] ] (born 22 September 1958) is an Italian operatic popcite news
last = Baum
first = Caroline
title = The king of popera
publisher = Sydney Morning Herald
date = 2004-08-28
url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/27/1093518069667.html
accessdate = 2008-01-19] tenor and a classical crossover singer who has also performed in operas. To date, he has recorded six complete operas ("La bohème", "Il trovatore", "Werther", "Pagliacci", "Cavalleria rusticana" and "Tosca") in addition to various classical and pop albums. He has sold 60 million albums worldwide thus far. Born with congenital glaucoma, total blindness came to Bocelli at the age of twelve, after a football accident.

Early life 1958-1992

Bocelli was born in Lajatico in Tuscany, Italy in 1958 and grew up on the family farm. At the age of six he started piano lessons before also learning to play the flute and saxophone. Bocelli would also spend time singing during his childhood and would later recall that he was "one of those children who would always be asked to sing for my relatives. I don't think one really decides to be a singer - other people decide it for you by their reactions."cite web
title = Biography
publisher = bocellionline.com
date = 2007
url = http://www.bocellionline.com/Bio.html
accessdate =2008-01-20 ] In 1970, when he was twelve years old he was blinded in an accident when he was hit in the head during a football match in Tuscany.cite web
title = Chronicle 1958-1991
publisher = bocelli.de
url = http://www.bocelli.de/en/chronicle.htm
accessdate =2008-01-20 ] That same year he also won his first song competition, the Margherita d'Oro in Viareggio with "O sole mio".

After he finished secondary school, in 1980 began studying Law at the University of Pisa. After graduating as a Doctor of Law he spent one year as a court appointed lawyer. To pay for the fees Bocelli performed in the evenings at piano bars.cite web
title = Chronicle 1991-1994
publisher = bocelli.de
url = http://www.bocelli.de/en/chronicle1992.htm
accessdate =2008-01-20 ] Also in 1992 he attended a master-class with Italian tenor Franco Corelli, singing "Che gelida manina" from Giacomo Puccini's "La bohème". Corelli then took him on as a pupil.

Career

1992-1994

In 1992, Italian rock star Zucchero held auditions for tenors to make a demo tape with him of the song "Miserere" from his album of the same name, to send to Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti. After hearing Bocelli on tape, Luciano Pavarotti urged Zucchero to use Bocelli instead of him, saying, "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."

Zucchero eventually persuaded Pavarotti to record the song with him and it became a hit throughout Europe. In Zucchero's European concert tour in 1993, it was Bocelli who accompanied him to sing the duet and he was also given solo sets in the concerts, singing "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's "Turandot". Bocelli signed with the Sugar Records music label in Milan after the group's President heard Bocelli sing Miserere and Nessun dorma at a birthday party for Zucchero. In November he entered the preliminary round of the Italian Sanremo Music Festival in the category of Giovani performing both parts of the duet "Miserere". He won the preliminary competition with the highest marks ever recorded in the Newcomers section. On 28 December, he debuted in the classical world in a concert at the Teatro Romolo Valli in Reggio Emilia.

In February 1994 he entered the main San Remo Festival competition with "II mare calmo della sera", and he won the "Newcomers" section, again with a record score. His debut album, named after the song, was released and immediately entered the Italian Top Ten, going platinum within weeks.

In May he toured with Italian pop singer, Gerardina Trovato. In September he sang at Pavarotti's annual Charity Gala concert, "Pavarotti International" in Modena where he sang Ruggero Leoncavallo's "Mattinata" and sang a duet with Pavarotti, Maurizio Morante's "Notte e Piscatore". He also sang "Libiamo ne' lieti calici" from Giuseppe Verdi's La traviata in the finale, along with Nancy Gustafson, Giorgia, Andreas Vollenweider and Bryan Adams and also Adams' song "All for love". In September he made his debut in an opera as Macduff in Verdi's, "Macbeth" at the Teatro Verdi in Pisa.cite web
last = Ardoin
first = John
authorlink = John Ardoin
title = Bocelli and Chung
publisher = PBS
date = 2007
url = http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/shows/andreabocelli/essay3.html
accessdate =2008-01-20 ] He performed the hymn, "Adeste Fideles" in Rome before Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Basilica at Christmas.

1995-1997

As winner of the 1994 Newcomers section at the Sanremo Festival, he was invited to return the following year, entering the main competition with "Con te partirò" and finished in fourth place.cite web
title = Chronicle 1995-1997
publisher = bocelli.de
url = http://www.bocelli.de/en/chronicle1995.htm
accessdate =2008-01-20 ]

"Con te partirò" was included in his album, "Bocelli" which was released in Spring and produced by Italian record producers, Mauro Malavasi. The album went on to achieve double platinum sales in Italy. His third album, "Viaggio Italiano" was released in autumn.

In November, Bocelli performed in Belgium and the Netherlands at the annual "Night of the Proms" a series of concerts which consist of a combination of pop music and popular classical music. Bocelli sang "Miserere" and "Funiculì, Funiculà" with guitarist John Miles. As a consequence of this, "Con te partirò" became a huge hit in Belgium and stayed many weeks number one in the Belgian charts.Fact|date=January 2008

In 1996, Bocelli was invited to duet with English soprano Sarah Brightman at the final bout of German IBF World Light-Heavyweight boxing champion, Henry Maske, who was a national icon in Germany and was known for selecting entrance themes to his bouts. Brightman, a friend of Maske, approached Bocelli after she heard him singing "Con te partirò", whilst she was dining in a restaurant. Changing the title lyric of the song from "Con te partirò" (I’ll go with you) to "Time to Say Goodbye", they re-recorded it as a duet with members of the London Symphony Orchestra and sang it as a farewell for Maske. On 23 November, Maske lost the match on points, beaten by American champion Virgil Hill and retired from boxing. As the German public paid tribute to their departing hero, the arena was filled with the sound of "Time to Say Goodbye". The single was released and went straight to the top of the German charts where it stayed for fourteen weeks. With sales nearing three million copies, and a sextuple platinum award, "Time to Say Goodbye" eclipsed the previous best-selling single by more than one million copies. He topped the Spanish singles chart in 1996 with a duet with Marta Sanchez, "Vivo Por Ella".Fact|date=January 2008 A spin-off single to "Time to Say Goodbye" called "Time to Say Hello" has been rumoured to be in the works for a 2009 release.

His 1997 international debut album, "Romanza" released in spring, extended Bocelli's fame worldwide and gave him even greater success, as the album went multi-platinum in many countries. On 3 March he appeared in Hamburg, Germany, with Sarah Brightman to receive the ECHO music award for "Best Single of the Year.

In August, he appeared at the Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago in Italy, and then at the World Youth Festival in Paris, where he again sang in the presence of the Pope. In the summer, he gave twenty-two open air concerts in Germany, as well as an indoor concert in Oberhausen on 31 August. In September he performed in concert at the Piazza dei Cavalieri in Pisa for the home video "A Night in Tuscany" ( _it. una notte nella Toscana) with guests Nuccia Focile, Sarah Brighman and Zucchero. On 14 September in Munich, Germany, he received an ECHO Klassik "Best seller of the year" award for his album, "Viaggio Italiano".cite news
title = ECHO Klassik 1997 winners
language = German
publisher = ECHO
url = http://www.echo-deutscher-musikpreis.de/echo/echo_klassik_1997_gewinner.htm
accessdate = 2008-01-20]

Back in Italy in Bologna on 27 September, he yet again sang before the Pope at the International Eucharistic Congress. On 19 October, he sang at the TeleFood benefit concert held in the Vatican City, and organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization to raise awareness about world hunger. On 25 October he received a Bambi award, an annual television and media prize awarded by the German media company Hubert Burda Media, in the Klassik category in Cologne, Germany.

1998-1999

Bocelli made his debut in a major operatic role in 1998 when he played Rodolfo in a production of "La bohème" at the Teatro Comunale in Cagliari from 18 February to 25 February. The conductor was Steven Mercurio with Mimi played by Daniela Dessi. The opera was broadcast on Italian television station, RAI on 28 February. He later recorded the opera. His fifth album "Aria" was released in March.cite web
title = Chronicle 1998
publisher = bocelli.de
url = http://www.bocelli.de/en/chronicle1998.htm
accessdate =2008-01-20 ]

On 19 April Bocelli entered the United States (USA) market with a concert at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. followed the next day by a reception at the White House with then USA president Bill Clinton. On 5 May, he appeared in Monte Carlo winning two World Music Awards, one in the category "Best Italian Singer," and one for "Best Classical Interpretation".cite news
title = People
publisher = International Herald Tribune
date = 1998-05-08
url = http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-6768960.html
accessdate = 2008-01-20]

In July and August, he toured North and South America. His final concert of the tour at Madison Square Garden was sold out. In September, he received his next Echo Klassik award, this time for "Best selling classical album" with "Aria".

On Thanksgiving Eve Bocelli appeared as a guest on Céline Dion's Television special "These Are Special Times" in which he joined Dion with their hit "The Prayer" from Dion's album "These Are Special Times" and he also sang "Ave Maria" solo. Céline Dion introduced him by saying, "I heard someone say - If God had a singing voice, he would sound a lot like Andrea Bocelli." As a result of his appearance on the show, his popularity in the USA further increased. Dion's album, including "The Prayer" was released in 1998 and re-issued with the DVD of the TV special in 2007.

First, "The Prayer" was recorded as two separate solo versions, Céline Dion's in English and Bocelli's in Italian. They appeard on the film "Quest for Camelot" soundtrack in May 1998. The duet was included on both artists' albums, released a few months later.

At the New Year, he performed two concerts at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas. The hotel used "Con te partirò" in their advertisements, which again increased his popularity further in the USA. He also performed the first Internet live opera broadcast in its entirety from the Detroit Opera House, with Denyce Graves.Fact|date=January 2008

At the 56th Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on 24 January, "The Prayer" won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song from the film "Quest for Camelot".cite web
title = Chronicle 1999
publisher = bocelli.de
url = http://www.bocelli.de/en/chronicle1999.htm
accessdate =2008-01-20 ]

At the 41st Grammy Awards ceremony held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on 24 February, Bocelli was nominated in the Best New Artist category which was won by Lauryn Hill. Bocelli and Dion received a standing ovation after singing "The Prayer".
[
left|200px|thumb|Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli performing "The Prayer" at the Grammys (1999)] The song was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song and performed by Bocelli and Dion at the ceremony held at the Los Angeles Music Center on 21 March.

"The Prayer", duet with Céline Dion, was released on 1 March 1999. Bocelli's sixth album "Sogno" was released on 22 March. From 11 April to 24 April, he toured the West coast of North America from San Diego to Vancouver, with a final performance before over 18,000 spectators at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Actress Elizabeth Taylor stood by his side on the stage during the encore, while he sang "The Prayer".

At the invitation of Steven Spielberg, Bocelli sang in Los Angeles on 15 May before Bill Clinton at an event on behalf of the Democratic Party. At the end of May he toured Portugal and Spain and sang with the Portuguese Fado singer Dulce Pontes. On 27 June he took part in the Michael Jackson benefit concert for suffering children in Munich's Olympic Stadium.

From 10 July to 27 August he appeared in a guest role at seven performances of the "The Merry Widow" at the Verona Arena in Rome. As the "Tenor Conte Andrea" he performed three arias, "La donna è mobile" from Verdi's "Rigoletto"; "Tu, che m' hai preso il cuor" from Franz Lehár's "Land des Laechelns" and "Libiamo ne' lieti calici" from Verdi's La Traviata, again receiving standing ovations.

On 10 September, together with soprano Daniela Dessi and two Polish singers, he performed at the Great Theatre of Łódź in Poland. From 7 October to 19 November, he made his United States operatic debut in Jules Massenet's "Werther" at the Detroit Opera House with the Michigan Opera Theater. He was cheered by the audiences, but criticized by the press.

He also performed at Rodeo Drive in Hollywood, and there were further concerts in Detroit, Cleveland and Chicago and an appearance on Jay Leno's Tonight Show. Then Mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani gave him the Crystal Apple, a gift to celebrated personalities from the City of New York. His seventh album "Sacred Arias", which contains exclusively sacred music, was released worldwide on 8 November, and two weeks later reached first place in the USA Classic Billboard charts, and creating history when he became the first vocalist to hold all top three places on the chart, with "Aria" in second place, and "Viaggio Italiano" in third place. The album also included the hymn of the holy year 2000 which was chosen as the official version by the Vatican in October.

Immediately after his return to Italy he sang in Florence at a meeting of the Centre-left Heads of State. Invited by the Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, he performed at the annual Royal Variety Performance in Birmingham on 29 November. On 30 November, his book "La musica del silenzio", an autobiographical novel, was released in Italy.

From 12 December to 21 December he performed six concerts in Barcelona, Strasbourg, Lisbon, Zagreb, Budapest and Messina, directed by Lorin Maazel, some of which were broadcast on local television. He also performed on German television; Wetten, dass..? on 11 December and the José Carreras Gala in Leipzig on 17 December. On 31 December, he finished a marathon twenty-four concerts in thirty days, with a concert at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New York in front of 8,000 people, welcoming in the new millennium.

2000-2002

At the 42nd Grammy Awards on 23 February Bocelli was nominated twice. "The Prayer" was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. Bocelli performed it with Dion at the ceremony. Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. His "World Tour 2000" started on 31 March the first stage until 12 April. In May his "Sacred Arias" album was voted album of the year by listeners of the Classic FM radio station in the United Kingdom (UK}. His world tour continued from 12 May to 14 May with four concerts in Japan and South Korea. At the end of the UEFA European Football Championship he performed with Valery Gergiev and Renée Fleming at a concert on the River Maas in Rotterdam. On 6 July he performed at the Statue of Liberty in New York and on 17 August he performed in Giuseppi Verdi's Messa da Requiem at the Verona Arena in Rome. His seventh album "Verdi" was released on 11 September. In September he also performed three concerts in Australia. He received another Echo Klassik award for "Bestseller of the year" for "Sacred Arias". In November his first complete opera recording, "La Bohème" was released. In December he received another award in Germany, the Goldene Europe for classical music.cite web
title = Chronicle 2000
publisher = bocelli.de
url = http://www.bocelli.de/en/chronicle2000.htm
accessdate =2008-01-21 ]

Bocelli portrayed the main character in Pietro Mascagni's opera, "L'amico Fritz" at the Teatro Filarmonico in Verona from 19 January to 23 January and then on 27 January and 28 January again performed the tenor in Verdi's Requiem. On 19 March the Requiem album was released with Bocelli as tenor. From 22 March to 6 April he toured North America accompanied by Cecilia Gasdia and the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. On 17 June he performed at the re-opening of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In July he performed two concerts in Dublin with Ana María Martínez and the New Symphony Orchestra. At the Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice on 4 October he presented his new album "Cieli di Toscana" and he received a special award for more than 40 million worldwide album sales. In October with a solemn concert he opened the celebrations of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Sicilian opera composer, Vincenzo Bellini in Catania. On 28 October, he sang Franz Schubert's "Ellens dritter Gesang" as a representative of the Roman Catholic faith, during a memorial concert at Ground Zero in New York for the victims of the attacks on the World Trade Center. In November he received the Platinum Europe Award for 1 million sales of the album "Cieli di Toscana", and at the Italian Music Awards he was given a special award from the Federation of the Italian Music Industry for his merits as an "Ambassador of Italian music in the world." He performed seven more concerts in the USA accompanied by Ana María Martínez and on 23 December, in front of the President of Italy and other guests of honour, he sang the Italian national anthem as well as works of Bellini and Verdi at the traditional Christmas concert in the Italian senate, which was broadcast live on television for the first time.cite web
title = Chronicle 2001
publisher = bocelli.de
url = http://www.bocelli.de/en/chronicle2001.htm
accessdate =2008-01-21 ]

In Berlin on 5 February he received a Goldene Kamera award in the "Music & Entertainment" category. On 6 March he received two World Music Awards in Monte Carlo: "World best selling classical artist" and "Best selling Italian artist". On 11 March, he gave a concert for peace at the Basilica di San Marco a Venezia in Venice, accompanied by the orchestra of the Teatro La Fenice and conducted by Lorin Maazel. On 15 March he took part in the opening of Walt Disney Studios Park in Marne-la-Vallée France. On 7 May Bocelli and Tony Renis received a Telegatto Italian Television award for the soundtrack of the series "Cuore". On 23 May he received the 2002 Classical BRIT Award for "Outstanding Contribution to Music".cite news
title = Salford singer wins again
publisher = BBC News
date = 2002-05-23
url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/2005196.stm
accessdate = 2008-01-21] On 27 May he performed at the Villa Madama in Rome in front of USA president George W. Bush and Italian president Silvio Berlusconi. On 28 May he took part in "Pavarotti & Friends" charity concert in Modena in aid of Angola. In June he again toured the USA, then on 26 July and 3 August he portrayed Lieutnant B.F. Pinkerton in "Madama Butterfly" at the 48th Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago. On 14 October he and Lorin Maazel presented his new album "Sentimento" to a worldwide audience. Further presentations took place in Milan and New York, and the album was released on 4 November, selling over two million copies in only forty days. On 24 October he started his "Sentimento Tour" in Zurich which took in large arenas in several European and North American cities.cite web
title = Chronicle 2002
publisher = bocelli.de
url = http://www.bocelli.de/en/chronicle2002.htm
accessdate =2008-01-21 ]

2003-2005

In February Bocelli performed an exclusive concert performance of "Madama Butterfly" in Monte Carlo, which was attended by Caroline, Princess of Hanover. In March for the first time he appeared as a producer, at the Sanremo Festival, where the young artists Allunati and Jacqueline Ferry sang for his new record label, Clacksong.cite web
title = Chronicle 2003
publisher = bocelli.de
url = http://www.bocelli.de/en/chronicle2003.htm
accessdate =2008-01-21 ] In May his second complete opera, "Tosca", was released. At a private benefit gala for the Royal National Institute of Blind People Andrea sings in front of the British Royal Family. A day later he received two awards for "Sentimento" at the 2003 Classical BRIT Award held at the Royal Albert Hall in London - "Best selling classical album" and "Album of the year".cite news
title = Bocelli tops Classical Brits
publisher = BBC News
date = 2003-05-23
url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/2931456.stm
accessdate = 2008-01-21] Bocelli and Bryn Terfel presented the duet "Au fond du temple saint", from George Bizet’s "Les pêcheurs de perles", and they received a standing ovation. On 24 May he performed in a benefit concert for the Arpa Foundation for Film, Music and Art in the Piazza del Campo in Siena, with sopranos Maria Luigia Borsi and Lucia Dessanti, baritone Soo Kyung Ahn, and violinist Ruth Rogers, accompanied by Marcello Rota and the Orchestra Città di Pisa. Three days later he was again invited to perform at "Pavarotti & Friends" in Modena and sang a medley of Neapolitan songs together with Pavarotti. In June he continued his "Sentimento tour" in Athens and Cyprus. In September he took part in a concert for the Justice ministers and Interior ministers of the European Union at the Parco della Musica in Rome. And in he resumed his tour, accompanied by Maria Luigia Borsi, Ruth Rogers and Marcello Rota.

He won the "Favourite Specialist Performer" award at the UK National Music Awards in October.cite news
title = Pop Idols dominate music awards
publisher = BBC News
date = 2003-10-27
url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3216767.stm
accessdate = 2008-01-21] In November he once again toured in the United States, this time accompanied by Ana Maria Martinez, Kallen Esperian and Steven Mercurio. In December he gave his first concert in China and at the end of the month sang Gounod's "Ave Maria" at Pavarotti's wedding in Modena.

In Bologna in January he performed as Werther in four performances of the opera of the same name. In April and May he toured Asia again, visiting Manila, Hong Kong and Singapore. And in May he took part in a concert at Circo Massimo in Rome organised by Quincy Jones to launch the "We are the Future" project. In June his third complete opera "Il trovatore" was released. In July he played the part of Mario Cavaradossi in "Tosca" at the 50th Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago. And he took part in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) global campaign for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.cite web
title = Chronicle 2004
publisher = bocelli.de
url = http://www.bocelli.de/en/chronicle2004.htm
accessdate =2008-01-21 ]

In September he performed his "Once in a Lifetime" tour in Australia with concerts in Sydney and Melbourne and one concert in Christchurch, New Zealand where he was joined on stage by Hayley Westenra.cite web
title = Once in a Lifetime Tour
publisher = bocelli.de
url = http://www.bocelli.de/en/live/concert/2004_3.htm
accessdate =2008-01-21 ]

On 15 October he performed at the People Conference Hall in Beijing, China and on 17 October at the Great Hall in Shanghai.cite web
title = Asia Tour
publisher = bocelli.de
url = http://www.bocelli.de/en/live/concert/2004_4.htm
accessdate =2008-01-21 ]

During early 2005 Bocelli was on tour including to Madeira, Hungary, Norway, USA, UK, Italy and Germany.cite web
title = Chronicle 2005
publisher = bocelli.de
url = http://www.bocelli.de/en/chronicle2005.htm
accessdate =2008-01-21 ] He also appeared in "Sesame Street" singing "Time to Say Goodnight" a parody of "Time to Say Goodbye" as a lullaby to Elmo.cite web
title = Parody descriptions
publisher = Sesame Street
date = 2007
url = http://www.sesameworkshop.org/aboutus/pressroom/presskits/season36/parody.php
accessdate =2008-01-20 ] On 21 March he performed on the "Music for Asia" benefit concert in Rome, televised on Italia 1, in aid of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake appeal.cite web
title = Asia Tour
publisher = bocelli.de
url = http://www.bocelli.de/en/live2005_1.htm
accessdate =2008-01-21 ]

In June he performed at the Deutsche Opera in Berlin. On 2 July he performed at the Paris concert as part of the Live 8 event. Also during the second part of the year, he performed in Croatia, Serbia, Italy, the USA, Dubai, Switzerland and finally in Scandinavia. On 28 August he performed at the Faenol Festival held in Vaynol,Wales and organised by Bryn Terfel. In December his first contemporary music concert took place at a chilly Lake Las Vegas village resort in Nevada, USA which was recorded for the American television network PBS and released as the "Under the Desert Sky" DVD. He also took part in the Royal Christmas Show, which took place in several cities in the USA in December. The album "Werther" was released in December. During 2005 he was invited by Pope Benedict XVI, George W. Bush and Queen Elizabeth II to perform at special events.

2006 onward

On 18 February he sang at the Toyota Center in Houston during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2006 All-Star Weekend, and broadcast live on the TNT Cable television network.cite news
title = John Legend and Carrie Underwood Set for All-Star Halftime Show
publisher = NBA
date = 2006
url = http://www.nba.com/allstar2006/Legend_Underwood_060215.html
accessdate = 2008-01-20]

On 26 February Bocelli sang "Because we believe" from his "Amore" album in the Carnevale section of the closing ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics which was held in Turin Italy with a worldwide television audience.cite web
title = Chronicle 2006
publisher = bocelli.de
url = http://www.bocelli.de/en/chronicle2006.htm
accessdate =2008-01-21 ] He also began another tour with a concert at the Piazza di Castello in Turin.cite web
title = 2006 tour (1)
publisher = bocelli.de
url = http://www.bocelli.de/en/live/concert2006_1.htm
accessdate =2008-01-21 ] In March he was honoured by the Italian state with a Grande Ufficiale Italian Order of Merit (Grand Officer of the Italian Republic), given to him by then President of the Italian Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi for his worldwide work for his country as a singer. The award was presented to him at the Sanremo Festival where he performed a duet with Christina Aguilera on 4 March.cite news
title = Pausini, Bocelli e Ramazotti: Onorificenze e serata finale del festival
language = Italian
publisher = Radio Italia Solo Musica Italiana
date = 2006-02-22
url = http://www.radioitalia.dit/web/news/news.php?idNews=1169
accessdate = 2008-01-21]

From 31 March to 2 April he took part in the Maggio Musicale in Florence where he sang the "Canto di pace (Canto of peace)" by Marco Tutinocite news
title = FIRENZE – Bocelli e il canto di Pace nato alle Muse
language = Italian
publisher = cultura.marche.it
date = March, 2006
url = http://www.cultura.marche.it/CMDirector.aspx?idN=3743
accessdate = 2008-01-21] and the tenor part from Gioachino Rossini's "Messa di Gloria" and in Naples where he took part in Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle). In April 2006, he featured as a guest coach on "American Idol" helping the finalists sing the week's themed songs, "Greatest Love Songs." He also performed on that weeks results show.cite news
last = Dyer
first = Richard
title = From `American Idol' to Boston divo
publisher = J. C. Penney
date = 2006-06-11
url = http://www.boston.com.news/globe/living/articles/2006/06/11/from_american_idol_to_boston_divo/?page=1
accessdate = 2008-01-22] American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee performed at three of Bocellis concerts in California from 9 June to 11 June singing duets of "Somos Novios" and "The Prayer" with Bocelli. They also performed on "'J. C. Penney Jam: The Concert for America's Kids"cite news
title = Dr. Phil and Music Superstars Join Forces for "JCPENNEY JAM...THE CONCERT FOR AMERICA'S KIDS" Mega Event to Air on CBS-TV During Back to School
publisher = J. C. Penney
date = March, 2006
url = http://www.ir.jcpenney.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=70528&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=852901&highlight
accessdate = 2008-01-21] and recorded duet versions of "Somos Novios" for the resulting album, and also "Can't Help Falling in Love" on the CD of the Under the Desert Sky DVD.

In June he sang the Italian duet version of "Because we believe" - "Ama, credi e vai" with Gianna Nannini at the "großen Fan Party" at the opening of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Berlin in front of billions of worldwide television viewers.

On 1 July 2007, Bocelli performed "Music of the Night" from Andrew Lloyd-Webber's "Phantom of the Opera", in a special musicals medley during the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium in London, England.cite news
title = Concert for Diana Timeline: What's happened minute by minute
publisher = BBC Entertainment
date = 2007-07-01
url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/1/concertfordiana/timeline/
accessdate = 2008-01-22] At the end of July he returned to his home town with a triumphant concert at the newly created Teatro del Silenzio in Lajatico. In September he debuted at the Avery Fisher Hall in New York with four concerts, which drew strong criticism from New York Times Music critic Bernard Holland who wrote, "Bocelli is not a very good singer." Holland did also go on to acknowledge that "music critics had no business at Avery Fisher Hall on Wednesday. Mr. Bocelli’s every gesture invited warm, resounding approval. Accusing audiences of being gullible won’t wash. The music public can be conned for only a short time, and Mr. Bocelli’s success is of reasonably long standing."cite news
last = Holland
first = Bernard
title = Spectator-Friendly, and Critic-Proof in a Sea of Approval
publisher = New York Times
date = 2006-09-08
url = http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/08/arts/music/08boce.html
accessdate = 2008-01-22] In October the opera album of Ruggero Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci" with Bocelli singing the role of Canio was released. In November he won the "Best Italian Artist" and "World's Best-selling Classical Artist" awards at the World Music Awards. In December he finished his 2006 tour with more concerts in North America and Europe.

Bocelli and Sarah Brightman's duet version of "Con te partirò" was used in the 2007 film "Blades of Glory", as an ice skating song. K-1 mixed martial arts fighter, Akiyama Yoshihiro started using "Con te partirò" as his ring entrance music. On 8 September Bocelli sang an arrangement of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Ave verum corpus" at the funeral of Luciano Pavarotti in Modena, Italy.

On 21 October, he sang "Con te partirò" with Katherine Jenkins on the UK television series "Strictly Come Dancing" results show, and on 30 October, he sang "The Prayer" with Céline Dion during an ITV Special "An Audience with Céline Dion." The show was broadcast on 23 December. He sang alongside fellow Italian singer Laura Pausini "Vivere" ("Dare To Live"), in English, which was also released on "The Best of: Andrea Bocelli" album as "Dare To Live (Vivere)") during the 2007 Latin Grammy Awards.

On 10 February 2008 he performed "The Prayer" at the 50th Grammy Awards, held in Los Angeles, with Josh Groban in a tribute to Luciano Pavarotti.

On 23 May 2008 he sang "The Prayer" with Katharine McPhee at the concert tribute for 15-time Grammy Award producer/songwriter David Foster, held at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas.

In an interview, Andrea Bocelli said that "In realtà il mondo è pieno di grandi voci e ho avuto la fortuna di cantare con tanti artisti, da Christina Aguilera a Bono. Ma, se proprio dovessi trovare una nuova interprete, punterei su Charice, una ragazza delle Filippine che a soli 15 anni è una versa forza della natura. Ne sentiremo parlare." or "In reality, the world is full of great voices and I had the opportunity to sing with so many artists, from Christina Aguilera to Bono. But, if I would like to look for a new voice, I would push for Charice, a girl from the Philippines that only at 15 years old is a flush force of nature. That we shall be hearing." [ [http://www.ilgiornale.it/a.pic1?ID=264800 Bocelli: "Verdi, il mio canto patriottico nell'Italia della riconciliazione" - Articolo - ilGiornale.it del 28-05-2008 ] ] [ [http://www.charicemania.com/charicemaniacom/2008/06/in-realt-il-mon.html Charicemania - Charice Pempengco Blog : Andrea Bocelli in a Possible Duet With Charice? ] ]

Criticism

Despite his worldwide popularity, Bocelli has been regularly dismissed and criticized by some music critics. Some point to his "poor phrasing, uneven tone and lack of technique."

In 1999, the New York Times chief music critic Anthony Tommasini in his review of Bocelli's North American opera debut at the Detroit Opera House in the title role of Massenet's "Werther" commented, "The basic color of Mr. Bocelli's voice is warm and pleasant, but he lacks the technique to support and project his sound. His sustained notes wobble. His soft high notes are painfully weak. Inadequate breath control often forces him to clip off notes prematurely at the end of phrases."cite news
last = Tommasini
first = Anthony
authorlink = Anthony Tommasini
title = OPERA REVIEW; A Blind Pop Tenor Takes On the Operatic Stage
publisher = New York Times
date = 1999-11-01
url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE5D7173BF932A35752C1A96F958260
accessdate = 2008-01-22] In December 2000 Tommasini again criticised Bocelli, this time for his "La bohème" album when he claimed that Bocelli's voice had been "carefully recorded", "to help it match the trained voices of the other cast members in fullness and presence."cite news
last = Tommasini
first = Anthony
authorlink = Anthony Tommasini
title = MUSIC; Bocelli Seeks Legitimacy (And Bucks) In 'Boheme'
publisher = New York Times
date = 2000-12-03
url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B04E7DC143DF930A35751C1A9669C8B63
accessdate = 2008-01-22]

In describing Bocelli's singing, prominent New York Times music critic Bernard Holland noted "the tone is rasping, thin and, in general, poorly supported. Even the most modest upward movement thins it even more, signalling what appears to be the onset of strangulation. To his credit, Mr Bocelli sings mostly in tune. But his phrasing tends toward carelessness and rhythmic jumble... The diction is not clear."

Personal life

Bocelli met his future wife Enrica, with whom he had two children, while singing at piano bars early in his career. They were married on 27 June 1992. Their first child, Amos, was born in February 1995. Their second son, Matteo was born in October 1997. The couple divorced in 2002. He has since become engaged to Veronica Berti.

Bocelli's father, Sandro Bocelli, died on 30 April 2000. His mother encouraged him to honour his commitments and so he sang for the Pope in Rome on 1 May and immediately returned home for the funeral. At the 5 July performance that was filmed for PBS as "American Dream — Andrea Bocelli's Statue of Liberty Concert", Bocelli dedicated the encore "Sogno" to the memory of his father. A section of the way along the beach in Jesolo, on the Italian Adriatic coast, was named after Bocelli on 11 August 2003.

In 2006, Bocelli influenced the municipality of Lajatico (his home village) to build an outdoor theatre, the "Teatro del Silenzio".cite videoIn September 2004 Bocelli agreed to shave off his beard for a rome guide dog charity raising in excess of £100,000
people =
title =Andrea Bocelli: The Story Behind the Voice
medium = Television documentary
publisher = BBC
location =
date = 2007-12-25 ] Bocelli performed for one night only. One night every July the theatre will be opened for performances. The rest of the time it will be silent..Since the opening he has sung on 27th July 2006, 5th July 2007 and 20th July 2008.

Discography

Albums

* "Il mare calmo della sera" (1994) NL #19
* "Bocelli" (1995) NL #1, (1996) GER #1
* "Viaggio Italiano" (1996) GER #15
* "II mare calmo della sera" (1996) Re-release GER #40
* "Romanza" (1996) US #35, UK #6, NL #1
* "Aria - The Opera Album" (1997) US #59, UK #33
* "Hymn for the World" (1997)
* "Viaggio italiano" (1998) Re-release NL #8, US #153, UK #55
* "Hymn for the World 2" (1998)
* "Sogno" (1999) #4 US, #4 UK
* "Sacred Arias" (1999) #22 US, #20 UK
* "Verdi" (2000) #23 US, #2 ITA, # 17 UK
* "Cieli di Toscana" (2001) #11 US, #3 UK, #3 ITA
* "Sentimento" (2002) #12 US, #7 UK, #13 ITA
* "Viaggio italiano" (2003) Re-release UK #24
* "Andrea" (2004) US #16, UK #19, ITA #6
* "Amore" (2006) US #3, UK #4, NL #1, ITA #2
* "" (2007)US #9 UK #4

ingles

* "Il diavolo e l'angelo" 1991 vinyl, 'B' side "Proprio Tu"
* "Time To Say Goodbye (Con Te Partirò)" (Sarah Brightman & Andrea Bocelli) (1996) GER #1, (1997) UK #2
* "Vivo Per Lei - Ich Lebe Für Sie" (1997) GER # 45
* "Cantò Della Terra / The Prayer (Celine Dion & Andrea Bocelli)" (1999) UK #25
* "Ave Maria / Silent Night" (1999) UK #65
* "Cantò Della Terra / The Prayer (Celine Dion & Andrea Bocelli)" (2000) Re-release UK #24
* "Melodramma" (2001) GER # 95
* "Con te partirò" (2007) UK #69
* "Dare to Live" (Laura Pausini & Andrea Bocelli)(2008) ITA #17

Operas

* "La bohème" (2000)
* "Tosca" (2003)
* "Il trovatore" (2004)
* "Werther" (2005)
* "" (2007) (recorded 2004)
* "" (with Ana María Martínez et al) (2007) US #3, UK #4
* "Carmen" (2008) (recorded 2005)

CD/DVD packages

* "una notta nella Toscana" (1997)
* "Sacred Arias" (2000)
* "Under the Desert Sky" (2006)
* "Celine Dion These Are Special Times" (2007) (originally aired 1998)
* "Vivere Live in Tuscany" (2008)

ee also

* List of best selling music artists

References

External links

*
* [http://www.andreabocelli.com/ Bocelli's official site]
* [http://www.music-city.org/Andrea-Bocelli/ Bocelli pages] at Music City
* [http://www.italica.rai.it/index.php?categoria=bio&scheda=bocelliandrea Biography of Andrea Bocelli] , from RAI International
* [http://www.bocelli.de/en German fan site (English version)]
* [http://www.classicalx.com/Andrea_Bocelli.html Andrea Bocelli section on classicalx.com]