Andrea Bocelli

Andrea Bocelli is an Italian tenor, multi-instrumentalist and classical crossover artist from Lajatico, Italy. Born in 1958, he grows up on a farm in rural Tuscany and begins piano lessons at the age of six, later adding flute and saxophone. He is born with poor eyesight and becomes blind at twelve after a football accident.

Education and early career

Bocelli does not initially plan a career in music. He studies law at the University of Pisa and earns a Doctor of Law degree before deciding to pursue singing. He then studies with the tenor Franco Corelli and supports himself by performing in piano bars.

Breakthrough and opera work

His first major break comes in 1992, when Zucchero Fornaciari auditions tenors to record a demo of Miserere, a song co-written with Bono. Bocelli records the piece as a duet with Luciano Pavarotti, and the performance brings him wider attention. He later appears with Pavarotti at the Pavarotti International festival in Modena in 1994 and also performs with artists including Bryan Adams, Andreas Vollenweider and Nancy Gustavsson.

Bocelli is associated with opera and is described as one of the notable voices in contemporary opera, but his work extends beyond that style. He is also a pop ballad singer, moving between classical, classical crossover and pop material.

Albums and notable recordings

His first two albums, Il Mare Calmo Della Sera (1994) and Bocelli (1996), focus on operatic singing. Viaggio Italiano includes famous arias and traditional songs from Naples and sells more than 300,000 copies, although it is released only in Italy.

With Romanza in 1997, he turns towards pop music. The album includes Time to Say Goodbye, recorded with Sarah Brightman. His 1999 album Sogno continues in a pop ballad direction and includes The Prayer, a duet with Celine Dion written by David Foster and Carole Bayer Sager.

Collaborations and recognition

Bocelli records duets with Celine Dion, Sarah Brightman and Eros Ramazzotti. He also sings with Al Jarreau during The Night of Proms in November 1995, and Jarreau later praises his voice. Sogno sells more than ten million copies, receives a Golden Globe award and leads to a Grammy nomination for best new artist.

Labels

His recordings are associated with Almud Edizioni Musicali s.r.l., Insieme S.r.l. and Sugar.