For opera singer Andrea Bocelli, playing the Hollywood Bowl is a can’t-miss event for himself and his fans.
“As an artist, singing in the amphitheater of the stars, under the Hollywood sky, is one of those moments of joy and celebration that stays in your heart for a long time,” Bocelli said.
“I lived unforgettable moments at the Hollywood Bowl, such as when, a little over a decade ago, I was given the thrill of greeting Elizabeth Taylor, who was seated in the audience.”
The outdoor amphitheater’s audience, Bocelli added, is special, just as this city is special. He considers his fans as dear friends.
“I keep them in my heart, and I always thank them for the kindness shown to me for so long,” he said.
“The positive energy that flows, under the benevolent gaze of the ‘Queen of Angels,’ is magic that renews itself at every concert.”
Bocelli’s career has spanned more than a quarter of a century. He’s one of the most celebrated singers, having amassed millions of fans around the world with his emotive and instantly recognizable voice.
He has performed for four U.S. presidents, three popes, the royal family and many prime ministers. He has sung at the ceremonies of the Olympic Games, UEFA European Championship, world expos and Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee.
“As an artist, I think it is my responsibility to touch the hearts of everyone I can reach, and thus it is always a great honor to make my contribution to sports, artistic or social events at the global level,” he said.
“After all, culture and art, in every corner of the globe, are channels of mutual knowledge and support for world development and peace, bringing us together and quelling distrust.”
With sold-out shows around the world, Bocelli has a Golden Globe, seven Classical BRITs and seven World Music Awards under his belt, plus a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“Music is my main passion,” Bocelli said.
“It’s my medicine — as necessary as the air that I breathe. It’s a friend that has always accompanied me throughout my life. As a boy, it was a perfect pastime and diversion I could rely on, giving me moments of great happiness. As an adult, it became my profession but also an instrument of faith (as any fruit of human ingenuity can be) because, as St. Augustine reminds us, ‘the one who sings prays twice.’”
He never tires of performing live because he said it’s the best way to “concretely thank all those throughout the world who have followed me consistently and affectionately for so many years.”
During the pandemic, those fans called him a “beacon of hope.” He said he was pleased to have offered a diversion. As a result of COVID-19, he produced 2020’s “Believe,” the Italian tenor’s 17th studio album.
“It was a hard time for everybody,” Bocelli said.
“Beyond the severity of the social-health crisis, I was distraught by how, on many occasions, unbridled fear had, in effect, limited a fundamental value inherent to humanity, and that is freedom.
“Good music can serve, for everyone, as an antidote to fear and anxiety. I wanted to make my modest contribution during the pandemic, by continuing to make art, and disseminate it with the utmost commitment. The ‘Believe’ album is the result of that complex and uncertain time, representing my wish to offer a moment of serenity and beauty, and especially offer a call to the driving forces of the soul.”
He released new operatic works, all of which were digital productions for the recording company UMG — “Lucia di Lammermoor,” “La Forza del Destino” and “Othello.”
He called these “immortal masterpieces of the Italian opera, with which I wished to experiment in recent years. These are compelling stories that depict the eternal conflict between good and bad through the creative genius of musicians…
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