For over three decades, Andrea Bocelli has been an honored and insanely popular voice to audiences devoted to classical opera, as well as to listeners with only passing familiarity with it. Like the great Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti before him, Bocelli’s singing has been championed by artists and fan bases within pop and classical worlds alike.
Diagnosed with congenital glaucoma as an infant, Bocelli lost his sight completely at the age of 12. Though fascinated with music as a child, Bocelli’s initial studies took him to law school before spending a year as a court-appointed lawyer. By the early 1990s, Bocelli’s singing came to the ears of leading Italian artists from two different genres: Pavarotti and rock/soul stylist Zucchero (Adelmo Fornaciari), both of whom who helped introduce Bocelli to the world.
By the end of the decade, Bocelli had made his operatic debut (in “La bohème”) and gave his first United States performance (at the Kennedy Center.) Since then, his list of performance and recording collaborators has become extensive and diverse. It includes Céline Dion, Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder, Ed Sheeran, Jennifer Lopez and Kentucky country giant Chris Stapleton. His cumulative worldwide record sales — which include the multi-platinum albums “Romanza” (1997), “Sacred Arias” (1999) and the holiday collection “My Christmas” (2009) — are now in excess of 90 million. Estimated sales for “Romanza” alone are 20 million, making it the all-time best-selling Italian-language album.
For his Saturday concert with the Lexington Philharmonic at Rupp Arena, I interviewed Bocelli by submitting questions via email. They were then translated into Italian and subsequently replied to in English with the assistance of an interpreter.
Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli is making his Lexington debut on Dec. 6 at Rupp Arena with the Lexington Philharmonic. Foto Gionata
Here are the highlights of our conversation.
Your current tour brings you to Lexington for the first time. It will eventually take you to Madison Square Garden in New York where you have been performing for 25 years. Would you please discuss the differences you feel, if any, in playing a city or venue you have performed in regularly to ones you have never experienced before?
“To make a debut at this later stage of my career is a rare and precious occasion, which is why this performance in Lexington feels both intriguing and definitely exciting. Every concert is a ‘unicum’ — a memorable moment that cannot be replicated. In this case, considering how few places remain where I have not yet sung, I feel both elation and a touch of nervousness at the thought of my first appearance in your city. I am truly honored by this invitation, and I will give my very best to offer a performance worthy of your expectations.
“I know that this is a land where the heritage of traditional music runs deep and lives with remarkable intensity. It is a distinguishing trait of this community and one that gives you great credit. And my enthusiasm grows even more knowing I will have the chance to pay tribute, with my singing, to the ‘world’s capital of horses.’ To realize that we share the same passion for these extraordinary companions of humankind makes this moment all the more meaningful to me.”
You are one of only a few opera artists who have found popularity in the pop music world. For many, these two worlds may seem completely different. But do you find common ground in them, even if they are so stylistically removed from each other?
“In truth, my approach is not so different from that of the great artists of the past. Enrico Caruso and Beniamino Gigli, who shaped the very history of operatic interpretation, also devoted themselves to the many popular romanze salon songs of their time. As I often say, the real distinction for me is not between genres, but between good music and bad music. Classical and pop inhabit two different universes, while my intention has always been to highlight the value of quality music and reinterpret it with respect and passion.
“I must admit that the term ‘crossover’ carries a certain ambiguity. At the same time, I agree that blending is an essential spark in the evolution of humankind. Whenever two different forms encounter each other, a small miracle occurs, and something new is born. The history of art is full of such fusions. Popular and classical music have always shared moments of intersection and exchange, each drawing creative inspiration from the other.”
Would you please describe how the entire region of Tuscany (Bocelli was born, and currently resides, in the Tuscany municipality of Lajatico), has helped shape you as a person and as an artist?
Andrea Bocelli has appeared on stages around the world with many other famous singers. Now he’s coming to Lexington to perform with the Lexington Philharmonic. Giovanni De Sandre
“All of Italy is beautiful, of course, but Tuscany is where my roots lie, the region to which I feel most deeply bound. It’s a land overflowing with architectural marvels, paintings, sculptures, and landscapes. At the same time, it can be a refuge for the spirit, blessed with a nature still rich and intact — an ideal place to rediscover silence and inner reflection. Silence, for me personally, is a lifelong companion. I draw from it a profound sense of renewal because silence often conceals many treasures just as in music, where the greatest energy is sometimes found in the pauses between notes.
“I consider myself a son of the Tuscan countryside, the son of a farming culture from which I learned the hierarchy of values that has guided my life. I am only a modest singer, yet I believe that in Tuscany so much beauty that has accumulated over the centuries has been able to ignite human creativity in a special way. After all, my region is the land that gave birth to opera, as well as to Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and many other geniuses.”
While the experience likely varies based on the setting, repertoire and artists you might be singing with, would you please try to describe the general thrill you get out of performing/singing for an audience?
“The exchange of positive energy that arises during concerts is priceless. Recordings enable you to enter people’s homes, but the live experience remains irreplaceable. I say this both as an artist and as a man. Making music in front of a live audience still gives me extraordinary strength and, even after thirty years, it is what continues to motivate me to board airplanes around the world.
“The joy of the encounter, of coming together to share emotions and celebrate beauty is essential to me, both professionally and personally. For me, performing live in concert is the most meaningful way to thank in person those who follow me and appreciate my work.”
What musical style or composer’s work that is a regular part of your repertoire presents the greatest challenge to you as a vocalist?
“Opera, although it is physiologically a popular genre and born as an immediately accessible art form, demands from its interpreters a far more complex preparation and management of the vocal instrument. It requires a deep technical foundation and an equally profound interpretative study. When I perform, my goal in front of the audience is to interpret the piece infusing it with meaning while avoiding distractions caused by any technical difficulties. On stage, I focus on balancing rational control with emotional engagement. A singer must move those who are listening but cannot allow their own emotion to overwhelm them; otherwise, the throat itself risks closing.
“Every piece contains its own challenges, of course, but when I think of the music conceived by geniuses like Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi and many others, I am reminded of how every musical phrase reveals their extraordinary compositional mastery and their profound understanding of the voices behind the creative process. The interpreter must approach the score with meticulous attention, discipline and even a measure of humility if they wish to convey to their audience the composer’s intentions as faithfully as possible.”
You have collaborated with countless artists and vocalists. Does any recorded or performance collaboration stand, for any reason, as a personal favorite?
“I have had the privilege of meeting extraordinary artists along my journey. To single out just one would be difficult — because, in truth, it would be unfair to many others. I can recall exceptional figures like Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder, Barbra Streisand and my dear friend Céline Dion. Also, in the world of opera, I cherish the memory and privilege of having made music with Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, and Luciano Pavarotti.
“If I were to highlight a singular moment, I could call to mind the first time I was on stage with Luciano Pavarotti. It happened in Modena, and it was an unforgettable experience to be able to sing a Neapolitan song, ‘Notte ’e Piscatore,’ together. It was almost surreal, like stepping into a dream — the kind that awakens the purest of hopes and adolescent ambitions — which, in that moment, was coming true, beyond any plausibility. Pavarotti occupies a privileged place in my life — artistically, professionally, and personally. He was generous to me, and for this I am truly grateful. He was a tenor of astonishing talent, whose open kindness and esteem for me contributed to the launch of my career.”
As an artist who has performed and recorded a wide range of holiday music, how does it feel to perform this music at this time of year for North American audiences?
“Music is a multiplier of emotions and beauty. Personally, I have a deep fondness for Christmas songs drawn from popular tradition. It’s a joy to share the ‘spirit of Christmas’ that certain songs can evoke.
“At this time of year, more than ever, music becomes the voice of the soul and helps us pray, to love ourselves and the world around us, to look to the future with renewed confidence. Over time, it has become a cherished tradition for me to spend the weeks leading up to Christmas in the United States, sharing with as many people as possible the beauty of these festivities. Christmas is, after all, a metaphor for the miracle of life being born and the love that protects it — an anniversary for the world, and for the one who gave us this life we are privileged to live.
“For me, the greatest gift is knowing that my voice can kindle, at this time of year, a sigh or a smile – one of those disarmingly sincere, trusting smiles we had as children. I am also mindful, however, that not everyone has the good fortune of celebrating a happy Christmas. To them, I send my warmest embrace. It is my hope and my prayer that a day will come when tears will give way to smiles, and Christmas will truly be merry – for everyone.”
Andrea Bocelli with the Lexington Philharmonic
When: Dec. 6 at 8 p.m.
Where: Rupp Arena, 430 West Vine
Tickets: $107.15-$411.15 through ticketmaster.com.
