Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli Biography
Having set countless records, Andrea Bocelli has sold over 90 million albums to date and generated more than 16 billion streams. The celebrated tenor has become a long-standing ambassador for Italian culture around the world and drew worldwide attention in 2020 with his record-breaking ‘Music for Hope’ event which became one of the biggest musical live stream performances of all-time. Across his illustrious career, Bocelli has received six Grammy Award nominations, six Latin Grammy Award nominations, a Golden Globe, seven Classical BRITs, seven World Music Awards, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
One of the world’s most recognisable voices, Bocelli has performed for four Presidents of the United States of America, three Popes, the British Royal Family, and many Prime Ministers. He has sung at high-profile ceremonies including the Olympics, the World Cup, the UEFA Euro 2020 Opening Ceremony, the Premier League final, the Ballon d’Or, the Universal Expo in Shanghai in 2010 and in Milan in 2015. He has performed in all the greatest concert halls and opera houses around the world, as well as major international arenas. Bocelli recently sang at the 24th Annual Latin Grammy Awards and the 96th Oscars. He will also become the first classical artist in history to headline London’s BST Hyde Park 2024.
Across his meteoric rise, Bocelli’s works have become hallmarks of cultural significance. From his early career singing with Luciano Pavarotti, to major international success with ‘Con te partirò (Time To Say Goodbye)’ with Sarah Brightman, ‘The Prayer’ with Celine Dion, and ‘Vivo per lei’, among many others. Bocelli is renowned for his unique voice and his collaborations beyond the world of classical music – in particular, he has duetted with major names including Ed Sheeran, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Dua Lipa, Bono, Ariana Grande, Stevie Wonder, Alison Krauss, Tony Bennett, Josh Groban, and even The Muppets.
In 2017, autobiographical film ‘The Music of Silence’ – inspired by Bocelli’s self-penned novel of the same name – was released to resounding critical and commercial success. 2024 sees the release of a new documentary entitled Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe, with never-before-seen insights into the singer’s story, on- and off-stage.
Andrea Bocelli made history with his 2018 pop album ‘Sì,’ taking first place in the UK and US charts, the first time ever to be achieved by an Italian artist. He broke records again on Easter Day 2020, uniting millions around the world with his emotionally charged ‘Music for Hope’ performance from the historic Duomo cathedral in Milan, one of the biggest musical live stream performances of all-time. The broadcast saw 2.8 million peak concurrent viewers – the largest simultaneous audience for a classical live stream in YouTube history. Musically gifted from birth, Andrea Bocelli is one of the most celebrated singers in modern history. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Opera Singing from the “G. Puccini” Music Conservatory in La Spezia and a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Pisa, Italy. He was honoured by the Italian Republic with a Grande Ufficiale Italian Order of Merit (Grand Officer of the Italian Republic) and he was bestowed the title of Ambassador of the Italian Republic of San Marino. During the Opening Ceremony of the World Economic Forum 2015 in Davos (Switzerland), he was given the prestigious Crystal Award, in recognition of his work an artist and philanthropist. In 2016, the University of Macerata awarded him with an Honorary Degree in Modern Philology. In 2011, he founded the Andrea Bocelli Foundation (ABF) to empower people and communities in vulnerable situations. It has since grown into an independent non-profit led by world-class professionals that oversee the strategic development of projects in Italy and abroad.