93-627: Andrea Bocelli OMRI OMDSM ( Italian: [anˈdrɛːa boˈtʃɛlli] ; born 22 September 1958) is an Italian tenor . After performing evenings in piano bars and competing in local singing contests, Bocelli signed his first recording contract with Sugar Music . He rose to fame in 1994 after winning the newcomers' section of the 44th Sanremo Music Festival performing " Il mare calmo della sera ". Since 1994, Bocelli has recorded 15 solo studio albums of both pop and classical music , three greatest hits albums, and nine complete operas , selling over 80 million records worldwide. He has had success as
186-466: A frazione of Lajatico , Tuscany, Italy, about 40 km (25 mi) south of Pisa . His mother and younger brother Alberto still live in the family home; his father died in 2000. Bocelli showed a great passion for music as a young boy. His mother has said that music was the only thing that would comfort him. He started piano lessons at age 6 and later learned to play the flute, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, guitar, and drums. His nanny Oriana gave him
279-986: A Lake Las Vegas village resort in Nevada , US, which was recorded for 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 US in December. The album Werther was released in December. 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
372-492: A crossover performer, bringing classical music to the top of international pop charts. His album Romanza is one of the best-selling albums of all time , while Sacred Arias is the biggest selling classical album by any solo artist in history. My Christmas was the best-selling holiday album of 2009 and one of the best-selling holiday albums in the United States. The 2019 album Sì debuted at number one on
465-518: A "plague to singers". Corelli stated that he learned part of his technique from a friend who was a student of Arturo Melocchi , the voice teacher who taught Mario Del Monaco , and who advocated a technique based on singing with the larynx lowered. Corelli studied with Melocchi himself only "sometimes". Corelli modified the technique to avoid limitations that Corelli perceived in the ability of students of Melocchi to handle mezza-voce (moderate volume) and legato (smooth) singing. He carefully studied
558-670: A Portuguese version of the song with Brazilian singer Sandy . The same year, Bocelli recorded "Je vis pour elle", the French version of "Vivo per lei", as a duet with French singer Hélène Ségara . Released in December 1997, the song became a hit in Belgium (Wallonia) and France, where it reached No. 1 on the charts. To date, it is the best-selling single for Ségara, and the second for Bocelli after "Time to Say Goodbye". On 3 March, he appeared in Hamburg , Germany, with Sarah Brightman to receive
651-459: A court-appointed lawyer. In 1992, Italian rock star Zucchero held auditions for tenors to make a demo tape of his song "Miserere", to send to Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti . After hearing Bocelli on tape, Pavarotti urged Zucchero to use Bocelli instead of him. Pavarotti eventually persuaded Zucchero to record the song with Bocelli, and it became a hit throughout Europe. In Zucchero's European concert tour in 1993, Bocelli accompanied him to sing
744-490: A duet with English soprano Sarah Brightman at the final bout of German boxer Henry Maske . Brightman approached Bocelli after she heard him singing "Con te partirò" while she was dining in a restaurant. Changing the title lyric of the song 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. The single debuted atop
837-521: A guest coach on American Idol , helping the finalists sing the week's themed songs, "Greatest Love Songs". He also performed on that week's results show. American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee performed at three of Bocelli's concerts in California from 9 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 and recorded duet versions of Somos Novios for
930-613: A little opaque, less brilliant than before. The singer's life cost me a great deal. I was full of apprehension and mad at everyone. I was a bundle of nerves, I wasn't eating or sleeping." After retiring from the stage, Corelli became a popular voice teacher in New York City, somewhat ironic for a man who himself disdained voice teachers for much of his life. He was briefly coaxed out of retirement for concerts in 1980 and 1981. He died in Milan 29 October 2003, aged 82, after suffering
1023-787: A meeting of the centre-left Heads of State. Invited by Queen Elizabeth II , he performed at the annual Royal Variety Performance in Birmingham, UK, on 29 November. On 30 November, his book La musica del silenzio , an autobiographical novel, was released in Italy, and in 2017 it was turned into a movie as The Music of Silence , directed by Michael Radford . From 12 to 21 December, he performed six concerts in Barcelona , Strasbourg , Lisbon, Zagreb , Budapest and Messina , some of which were broadcast on local television. He also performed on German television; Wetten, dass..? on 11 December and
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#17327828754431116-572: A small village not far from where he was born. He won his first song competition at age 14 with " 'O sole mio " at the Margherita d'Oro in Viareggio . He finished secondary school in 1980, and then studied law at the University of Pisa . To earn money, he performed evenings in piano bars, and it was there that he met his future wife Enrica in 1987. He completed law school and spent one year as
1209-452: A stroke earlier that year, and was buried in Milan's Cimitero Monumentale . With a rich and ringing spinto tenor voice and movie-star good looks, Corelli won a wide public following from early on his career. However, while the public was enthralled with the tenor, music critics were divided, with some complaining about what they perceived as self-indulgence of phrasing and expression. During
1302-453: 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 40 days. On 24 October, he started his Sentimento tour in Zürich ; the tour took in large arenas in several European and North American cities. In February 2003, Bocelli performed Madama Butterfly in an exclusive Monte Carlo concert, which
1395-555: Is suffered by Cavaradossi − torture for instance or the prospect of execution −: Bocelli does not seem to register it, but goes on in the musical equivalent of Stoic indifference." At a private benefit gala for the Royal National Institute of Blind People , Bocelli sang in front of the British Royal Family . A day later, he received two awards for Sentimento at the 2003 Classical BRIT Award held at
1488-509: The "Teatro delle Muse" in Ancona , Italy, for a charity concert for "Francesca Rava – N.P.H. Italia Onlus", a foundation that helps poor and disabled children around the world. On 23 May 2008, he sang The Prayer with Katharine McPhee in a Las Vegas tribute concert for Canadian producer and songwriter David Foster . Bocelli later praised Filipina teenage singer Charice , whom he first heard perform at that concert. Order of Merit of
1581-784: 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". On 27 May, he performed at
1674-726: The Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song . In 1999, he was nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards . He captured a listing in the Guinness Book of World Records with the release of his classical album Sacred Arias , as he simultaneously held the top three positions on the US Classical Albums charts. Bocelli
1767-549: The Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song from the film Quest for Camelot . At the 41st Grammy Awards ceremony on 24 February, Bocelli was nominated for Best New Artist , which was won by Lauryn Hill . Bocelli and Dion sang "The Prayer" at the ceremony. 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. From 11 to 24 April, he toured
1860-900: The Grand 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 also performed at Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and gave further concerts in Detroit, Cleveland and Chicago, and made an appearance on Jay Leno's first instalment of The Tonight Show . Then Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani gave him
1953-748: 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 was recognised for having sold more than 40 million albums worldwide. In October, he opened
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#17327828754432046-908: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) global campaign for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. 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 New Zealand soprano Hayley Westenra . On 15 October, he performed at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, and on 17 October at
2139-594: The Italian repertory , he was celebrated universally for his powerhouse voice, electrifying top notes, clear timbre, passionate singing and remarkable performances. Dubbed the "prince of tenors", audiences were enchanted by his handsome features and charismatic stage presence. He had a long and fruitful partnership with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City between 1961 and 1975. He also appeared on
2232-707: The José Carreras Gala in Leipzig on 17 December. On 31 December, he finished a marathon of twenty-four concerts in thirty days, with a concert at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New York, welcoming in the new millennium. At the 42nd Grammy Awards , Bocelli was nominated twice. "The Prayer" was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals and for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance . Bocelli performed it with Dion at
2325-1147: The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence and the Arena di Verona Festival in 1955; the Vienna State Opera , as Radamès , and the Royal Opera House , Covent Garden , in London, as Cavaradossi , in 1957; the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos in Lisbon, the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the San Francisco Opera in 1958; and the Berlin State Opera in 1961. Among the many triumphs of the decade for Corelli were two highly celebrated performances at
2418-731: 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 for seven performances of The Merry Widow at the Verona Arena . 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 Das Land Des Laechelns and "Libiamo ne' lieti calici" from Verdi's La traviata . On 10 September, together with soprano Daniela Dessì and two Polish singers, he performed at
2511-682: The Philadelphia Lyric Opera Company as Mario Cavaradossi. He returned to Philadelphia almost every year through 1971 portraying close to a dozen different roles. He made his debut at the Paris Opéra in 1964 opposite Callas in Tosca and Norma. He also earned high acclaim while collaborating with the Italian-American conductor Alfredo Antonini in several gala concerts in New York during the mid 1960s. In
2604-625: The Rome Opera House to get his autograph. They began seeing each other romantically and married in 1958. After their marriage, Loretta gave up her fledgling opera career to serve as her husband's business manager, secretary, public relations agent, cook, and English translator. Their marriage endured until Corelli's death forty-five years later. Corelli made his debut at New York 's Metropolitan Opera on 27 January 1961 as Manrico in Il trovatore , opposite soprano Leontyne Price as Leonora who
2697-713: The Royal Albert Hall in London – "Best selling classical album" and "Album of the year". 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
2790-592: The Statue of Liberty in New York City for his third PBS special American Dream: Andrea Bocelli's Statue Of Liberty Concert . The concert was a dedication to his father, who died in the beginning of 2000. He was accompanied by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Steven Mercurio with special guest Soprano Ana Maria Martinez and a surprise appearance by Sarah Brightman to sing with Bocelli on "Time to Say Goodbye". For
2883-839: The TNT Cable television network. On 26 February, Bocelli sang "Because We Believe" from his Amore album in the Carnevale section of the closing ceremony of the Torino Olympics . He also began another tour with a concert at the Piazza di Castello in Turin. 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
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2976-431: The Teatro delle Muse chorus in Ancona. His father was a shipbuilder for the Italian Navy and the family lived beside the Adriatic Sea . Corelli loved the sea and initially decided to follow in the footsteps of his father by pursuing a degree in naval engineering at the University of Bologna . While studying there he entered a music competition under the dare of a friend who was an amateur singer. While he did not win
3069-569: The Teatro di San Carlo in Naples , a 1958 appearance as Don Alvaro in La forza del destino opposite another one of his frequent collaborators, Renata Tebaldi as Leonora and a 1959 performance of Maurizio in Adriana Lecouvreur opposite Magda Olivero in the title role. During his early career, Corelli sang in a number of rare operas in which he triumphed including performances of Spontini 's Agnes von Hohenstaufen in its Italian version, Agnese di Hohenstaufen, Handel 's Giulio Cesare and Hercules , Prokofiev's War and Peace , and
3162-399: The TeleFood benefit concert held in the Vatican City to raise awareness about world hunger. On 25 October, he received a Bambi Award in the Klassik category in Cologne, Germany. 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 to 25 February. His fifth album Aria: The Opera Album
3255-427: The UK Albums Chart and US Billboard 200 , becoming Bocelli's first number-one album in both countries. His song " Con te partirò ", included on his second album Bocelli , is one of the best-selling singles of all time . In 1998, Bocelli was named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People . He duetted with Celine Dion on the song " The Prayer " for the animated film Quest for Camelot , which won
3348-464: The Villa Madama in Rome in front of US 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 US, then on 26 July and 3 August, he portrayed Lieutenant 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
3441-445: The "Favourite Specialist Performer" award at the UK National Music Awards in October 2003. 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
3534-425: The 1960s the anti-Corelli sentiment was epitomized by Alan Rich of The New York Herald Tribune in a 1966 article which, while acknowledged the vibrancy and white heat of his singing, considered Corelli a throwback. Rich said that Corelli is "not employed by an opera, but employs it to serve purposes it was not meant to serve." Also, many critics did not look favourably on his performances in French opera, owing to
3627-405: The Crystal Apple award. His seventh album Sacred Arias , which contains exclusively sacred music , was released worldwide on 8 November, and two weeks later reached number one on the US Classic Billboard charts – making Bocelli the first vocalist to hold all top three places on the chart, with Aria, the opera album in second place, and Viaggio Italiano in third place. The album also included
3720-439: 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 US, Dubai , Switzerland and finally in Scandinavia. On 28 August, he performed at the Faenol Festival held in Vaynol , Wales and organised by Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel . In December, his first contemporary music concert took place at
3813-401: The ECHO music award for " Best Single of the Year ". In the summer of 1997, he gave 22 open-air concerts in Germany, and 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 ( Italian : una notte nella Toscana ) with guests Nuccia Focile , Sarah Brightman and Zucchero. The concert
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3906-443: 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. In 1996 he topped the Spanish singles chart with a duet with Marta Sánchez , "Vivo por ella", the Spanish version of " Vivo per lei ", recorded with Giorgia for his 1997 compilation album, Romanza . He also recorded
3999-467: The Great Hall in Shanghai. During early 2005, Bocelli was on tour including performances in Madeira , Hungary, Norway, the US, the UK, Italy and Germany. He also appeared in Sesame Street singing "Time to Say Goodnight", a parody of "Time to Say Goodbye", as a lullaby to Elmo . On 21 March, he performed at the Music for Asia benefit concert in Rome, televised on Italia 1 , in aid of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake appeal. In June, he performed at
4092-581: The Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( Italian : Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana ) is the most senior Italian order of merit . It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic , Luigi Einaudi . The highest-ranking honour of the Republic, it is awarded for "merit acquired by the nation" in the fields of literature, the arts, economy, public service, and social, philanthropic and humanitarian activities and for long and conspicuous service in civilian and military careers. The post-nominal letters for
4185-499: The Italian Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi . The award was presented to him at the Sanremo Festival, where he performed a duet with American singer Christina Aguilera on 4 March. 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 Tutino 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
4278-478: The Italian TV award Telegatto in platinum for Italian music in the world , in Rome. He sang "La voce del silenzio" – "The voice of silence" – and "Dare to Live" during the ceremony. To promote the album, he performed " Canto della Terra " at The Alan Titchmarsh Show on the BBC in London on 1 February; was interviewed by Fabio Fazio on the Italian talk show Che tempo che fa on RAI 3 in Italy; and performed "Canto della terra", "A te" and "Besame mucho" from
4371-515: The Italian radio. In 1953 he joined the Rome Opera's roster of principal tenors where he spent much of his time performing through 1958. His first role with the company in 1953 was that of Romeo in Zandonai 's rarely heard opera Giulietta e Romeo . Later that season he sang Pollione in Bellini's Norma opposite Maria Callas in the title role. It was the first time the two sang opposite one another and Callas immediately became an admirer of Corelli. The two performed frequently with each other over
4464-501: The Met, Corelli continued to be a presence on the international stage. In 1961 he made his debut with the Deutsche Oper Berlin . He returned to La Scala in 1962, for a revival of Meyerbeer 's Les Huguenots , opposite Joan Sutherland , and that same year appeared as Manrico in a lauded production of Il trovatore at the Salzburg Festival under Herbert von Karajan and opposite Leontyne Price, Giulietta Simionato , and Ettore Bastianini . Also in 1962 he made his first appearance with
4557-421: The Night " from Andrew Lloyd Webber 's The Phantom of the Opera , in a special musicals medley during the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Bocelli returned to his home town for a concert at the newly created Teatro del Silenzio in Lajatico on 5 July 2007, with guest appearances by Kenny G , Heather Headley , Lang Lang , Elisa , Sarah Brightman and Laura Pausini . The concert
4650-439: The Platinum Europe Award for one 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 US accompanied by Ana María Martínez , and on 23 December, he sang the Italian national anthem as well as works of Bellini and Verdi at
4743-403: The Teatro Verdi in Pisa. Bocelli had been an agnostic, but around 1994, partly as a result of immersing himself in the works of Russian author Leo Tolstoy , he returned to the practice of the Catholic faith. He performed the hymn " Adeste Fideles " in Rome before Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Basilica at Christmas. As winner of the newcomers' section at the 1994 Sanremo Festival, Bocelli
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#17327828754434836-514: The West Coast of North America, from San Diego to Vancouver , with a final performance 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 Portuguese Fado singer Dulce Pontes . On 27 June, he took part in
4929-627: The album, as well as " My Way " on 2 February; and made an appearance on The South Bank Show in London, where he sang the French aria "Pour mon âme" on 3 February. Then on 10 February, he performed "The Prayer" at the 50th Grammy Awards , held in Los Angeles, with Josh Groban in a tribute to Luciano Pavarotti , and sang " Dare to Live " with Heather Headley the following day on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno . In April, he toured in Asia with performances in Tokyo, Taichung , and Seoul. On 7 May 2008, he sang at Steel Aréna in Košice , Slovakia, in front of 8,000 people. Then on 13 May he sang at
5022-450: The breath pressure, the tenor was able to reduce this sound while retaining the core of the voice in a diminuendo , or even a morendo on a high B-flat, the effect requested by Verdi at the end of 'Celeste Aida'." In the summer of 1951, Corelli won the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence , earning a debut at Spoleto the following fall. He was originally scheduled to sing Radames in Verdi 's Aïda and spent three months preparing
5115-674: The career of Del Monaco, who preceded Corelli into the first rank of Italian tenors using the lowered-larynx technique, and who was sometimes criticized for lacking subtlety in his singing. Corelli stated: "I ultimately modified the method so that my larynx 'floats'—I do not keep it lowered to the maximum at all times." Corelli also learned by imitating the style and vocal effects of the recordings of great tenors like Enrico Caruso , Giacomo Lauri-Volpi , Aureliano Pertile , and Beniamino Gigli . Opera News stated that Corelli's lowered-larynx technique "resulted in [a] cavernous sound even in high-flying passages, where it gained brilliance. Regulating
5208-414: 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 (also known as "Ave Maria", Latin for "Hail Mary") as a representative of the Catholic faith, during a memorial concert at Ground Zero in New York City for the victims of the September 11 attacks there. In November, he received
5301-451: The ceremony. His "World Tour 2000" started on 31 March. In May, his Sacred Arias album was voted album of the year by listeners of the Classic FM radio station in the UK. His world tour continued from 12 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
5394-413: The competition, he was encouraged by the judges to pursue a singing career and Corelli entered the Pesaro Conservatory of Music to study opera. At the conservatory, Corelli studied under Rita Pavoni , but was unhappy with the results, saying these lessons basically destroyed his upper register. After this Corelli decided to become his own teacher, and referred to voice teachers as "dangerous people" and
5487-430: The duet, and he was also given solo sets in the concerts, singing " Nessun dorma " from Giacomo Puccini 's opera Turandot . Bocelli signed with the Sugar Music label in Milan after Caterina Caselli heard him sing "Miserere" and "Nessun Dorma" at a birthday party for Zucchero. In December, Bocelli entered the preliminary round of the Sanremo Music Festival in the category of Giovani, performing "Miserere". He won
5580-399: The early 1970s, Corelli's voice began to show some signs of wear after years of hard use in a demanding repertory. As a result, the resultant nerves surrounding performances became increasingly difficult to handle for the tenor. He made his last opera appearance as Rodolfo in 1976 in Torre del Lago at the age of 55. Corelli later said of the decision, "I felt that my voice was a little tired,
5673-425: The final encore, he dedicated "Sogno" to his late Father. On 17 August, he performed in Giuseppe Verdi's Messa da Requiem at the Verona Arena in Rome. His seventh album, Verdi , was released on 11 September. In September, he 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 ,
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#17327828754435766-508: The first record of Franco Corelli , and he began to show interest in pursuing the career of a tenor. By age 7, he was able to recognize the famous voices of the time and tried to emulate the great singers. At age 12, Bocelli lost his vision completely after being hit in the eye with a football . Doctors resorted to leeches in a last-ditch effort to save his sight, but they were unsuccessful and he remained blind. Bocelli also spent time singing during his childhood. He gave his first concert in
5859-402: The first time a rank higher than Knight. The minimum age requirement is normally 35. The Knight Grand Cross with Collar is awarded only to heads of state . Franco Corelli Franco Corelli (8 April 1921 – 29 October 2003) was an Italian tenor who had a major international opera career between 1951 and 1976. Associated in particular with the spinto and dramatic tenor roles of
5952-455: The hymn of the Holy Year 2000, which was chosen as the official version by the Vatican in October. To promote Sacred Arias , Bocelli recorded his second PBS concert at the Roman church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva , in Rome, in 1999, singing most of the songs from the album. The special was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Classical Music-Dance Program during the 52nd Primetime Emmy Awards . In Italy, Bocelli sang in Florence at
6045-424: The liberty of the citizens) encircling the head of Italia turrita on the reverse. The six degrees with corresponding ribbons are as follows (with numbers to 2 June 2020): The order is bestowed by decree of the President of the Italian Republic , as head of the orders of knighthood, on the recommendation of the President of the Council of Ministers . Except in exceptional circumstances, no one can be awarded for
6138-429: The most beautiful in the world. Bocelli was born to Alessandro and Edi Bocelli on 22 September 1958. His sight was impaired from birth due to congenital glaucoma . He stated that his mother's decision to give birth to him and overrule the doctor's advice was the inspiration for him to oppose abortion . Bocelli grew up on his family's farm where they sold farm machinery and made wine in the small village of La Sterza ,
6231-440: The next five years, singing opposite Callas in productions of Fedora (1956), Il pirata (1958) and Poliuto (1960). He also notably portrayed the role of Dick Johnson in a highly celebrated performance of La fanciulla del West at La Scala in 1956, opposite Gigliola Frazzoni and Tito Gobbi , which was broadcast live on Italian radio. Other important debuts for Corelli soon followed, including his first appearances at:
6324-435: The next several years in a partnership that lasted to the end of Callas's career. While singing at the Rome Opera, Corelli also made numerous appearances with other opera houses both in Italy and internationally. He made his first appearance at La Scala in Milan in 1954, as Licinio in Spontini 's La vestale opposite Callas's Giulia for the opening of the 1954–1955 season. He returned several more times to that house over
6417-424: The old Met, the concert honoring Sir Rudolf Bing 's retirement, and Callas's legendary comeback Tosca. His last performance at the Met was on 28 December 1974 as Calàf with Ingrid Bjoner , also singing her last performance at the Met, as Turandot. However, Corelli did tour extensively with the Metropolitan Opera in 1975, singing in performances in cities throughout the United States and in Japan. While singing at
6510-436: The opera of the same name. In April and May, he toured Asia again, visiting Manila, Hong Kong and Singapore. 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
6603-412: The order are OMRI . The order effectively replaced national orders such as the Civil Order of Savoy (1831), the Order of the Crown of Italy (1868), the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1572) and the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation (1362). Investiture takes place twice a year – on 2 June, the anniversary of the foundation of the Republic , and on 27 December, the anniversary of
6696-621: 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 Sanremo Festival competition with " Il mare calmo della sera ", and he won the newcomers section, again with a record score. Following his win, Bocelli released his debut album of
6789-570: The promulgation of the Italian Constitution . However, those awards on Presidential motu proprio , related to termination of service or granted to foreigners, may be made at any time. The badge, modified in 2001, bears the inscription Al Merito della Repubblica encircling the national coat of arms on the obverse and the Latin Patriæ Unitati (for the union of the country) and Civium Libertati (for
6882-671: 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 " The Music of
6975-603: The role with conductor Giuseppe Bertelli . However, Corelli eventually switched to Don José in Bizet's Carmen , feeling that at this point he lacked the technical finesse and legato for the role of Radamès. In May 1952, he made his debut at the Rome Opera as Maurizio in Adriana Lecouvreur opposite Maria Caniglia as Adriana. The same year he appeared in operas with smaller opera houses throughout Italy and on
7068-694: The same name in April, and it entered the Italian Top Ten, being certified platinum within weeks. In May 1994, he toured with pop singer Gerardina Trovato . In September, he sang at Pavarotti's annual Charity Gala concert, Pavarotti International in Modena , where he sang Ruggiero Leoncavallo 's "Mattinata" and sang a duet with Pavarotti, it:Maurizio Morante 's "Notte e Piscatore". In September, he made his opera debut as Macduff in Verdi's Macbeth at
7161-552: The stages of most of the major opera houses in Europe and with opera companies throughout North America. Corelli was born Dario Franco Corelli in Ancona into a family some say had little or no musical background. While his parents were not particularly musical, his paternal grandfather Augusto had actually quit working at 35 to establish a successful career as an operatic tenor. His older brother Aldo subsequently quit school to become an operatic baritone, and two of his uncles sang in
7254-451: The tenor's exotic French diction and style. However, Corelli also had his admirers among several highly respected and notable critics, including Harold C. Schonberg of The New York Times , who once defended the expressive liberties taken by Corelli saying that his performance possessed "its own kind of logic". Corelli made many recordings of solo arias and complete operas. These reveal the splendour of Corelli's voice in its prime during
7347-529: The traditional Christmas concert in the Italian Senate , which was broadcast live on television for the first time. 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
7440-578: The world premiere of Guido Guerrini's Enea . By 1960 his active repertory included some 30 roles including the title role in Giordano 's Andrea Chénier , Turiddu in Mascagni 's Cavalleria rusticana , Rodolfo in Puccini's La bohème , and the title roles in Verdi's Don Carlo and Ernani . In 1957, Corelli met soprano Loretta di Lelio when she came backstage after one of his performances at
7533-784: 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. He then resumed his tour, accompanied by Maria Luigia Borsi , Ruth Rogers and Marcello Rota. Bocelli won
7626-714: Was also Bocelli's first concert to air on PBS, as part of the In The Spotlight series. It also marked Bocelli's debut to American audiences. On 14 September, in Munich , Germany, he received an ECHO Klassik Best Seller of the Year award for his album, Viaggio Italiano . Back in Italy in Bologna on 27 September, he sang at the International Eucharistic Congress . On 19 October, he sang at
7719-458: Was also making her house debut at the Met that evening. He would sing to great acclaim at the Met until 1974 in roles such as Calaf (with Birgit Nilsson as Turandot ), Cavaradossi , Maurizio , Ernani , Rodolfo and Edgardo . He also undertook French parts in new productions of Roméo et Juliette and Werther . He sang at a number of historic nights at the Met including: the closing gala at
7812-463: Was also named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People of 1998. From June to August, he toured North and South America. In September, he received his second Echo Klassik award, this time for Best Selling Classical Album with Aria: The Opera Album . On Thanksgiving Eve, Bocelli was a guest on Céline Dion 's television special These Are Special Times in which he joined Dion to sing " The Prayer " and he also sang " Ave Maria " solo. The duet
7905-500: 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. In May, his second complete opera, Tosca , was released. It did not attract unanimous praise, though. Andreas Dorschel notices "monochrome timbre" and "little dynamic variability" in Bocelli's performance: "Whatever
7998-588: Was broadcast on 23 December. Alongside fellow Italian singer Laura Pausini , he sang Vive Ya during the 2007 Latin Grammy Awards. The song, originally released in 1997 as a duet in Italian between Bocelli and Italian singer-songwriter Trovatto on Bocelli's Romanza , was also released in English on his 2007 album, The Best of Andrea Bocelli: Vivere , as Dare to Live . The album, Vivere , sold over 3 million copies. On 20 January 2008, Bocelli received
8091-716: Was included on Dion's album These Are Special Times (1998) and was re-issued with the DVD of the TV special in 2007. The song also appeared on the Quest for Camelot soundtrack in 1998 and on Bocelli's album, Sogno , the following year. In the New Year, he performed two concerts at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas. At the 56th Golden Globe Awards held on 24 January, "The Prayer" won
8184-469: Was invited to return the following year . He entered the main competition with " Con te partirò " and finished in fourth place. The song was included on his second album, Bocelli , produced by Mauro Malavasi and released in November 1995. In Belgium, "Con te partirò" became the best-selling single of all time. His third album, Viaggio Italiano , was released in Italy in 1996. He was invited to sing
8277-793: Was later released as Vivere Live in Tuscany . In September, he debuted at the Avery Fisher Hall , in New York, with four concerts. October saw the release of the opera album of Ruggiero Leoncavallo 's Pagliacci with Bocelli singing the role of Canio . 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"
8370-681: Was made a Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2006, and was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on 2 March 2010, for his contribution to Live Theater, and he was awarded a gold medal for Merit in Serbia in 2022. Singer Celine Dion has said that "if God would have a singing voice, he must sound a lot like Andrea Bocelli", and record producer David Foster has often described Bocelli's voice as
8463-772: Was released in March. On 19 April, Bocelli made his United States debut 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 US 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". He
8556-745: Was released. In December, he received another award in Germany, the Goldene Europa for classical music. In January 2001, Bocelli portrayed the main character in Mascagni 's opera L'amico Fritz at the Teatro Filarmonico in Verona and again performed the tenor part 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
8649-581: Was used in the 2007 film Blades of Glory , as an ice skating song. K-1 mixed martial arts fighter Yoshihiro Akiyama started using "Con te partirò" as his ring entrance music. On 8 September, Bocelli sang an arrangement of Mozart's Ave verum corpus at the funeral of Luciano Pavarotti in Modena, Italy. On 21 October 2007, he sang "Con te partirò" on the UK television series Strictly Come Dancing results show, and on 30 October, he sang "The Prayer" during an ITV Special An Audience with Céline Dion . The show
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