Accustomed to performing in the 2,200-seat First Ontario Concert Hall, the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra will soon get to show their stuff in front of many thousands more as they provide the accompaniment for the Andrea Bocilli concert at the TD Coliseum next Tuesday. Talking to Kim Varian, the HPO’s executive director one gets a sense of how professional the HPO musicians are. They will only get two rehearsals—one, Monday, the day before the show and a sound check the day of the event. But as Kim says, that’s par for the course for classically-trained musicians.
The call from the Bocelli team came in early summer. The orchestra will consist of over 70 musicians, the entire HPO plus some extras recruited for the occasion. The Hamilton concert, which is the only Canadian stop on the Bocelli tour of North America, will feature performances from Bocelli’s extensive repertoire, including music in honor of the Holiday Season, with selections from his recent number one album “A Family Christmas” as well as the Deluxe Edition, his solo album “Believe,” and a selection of arias, his beloved crossover hits, and famed love songs.
The two rehearsals next Sunday and Monday will be the only opportunity for the HPO members to be face-to-face with the Bocelli conductor, but as Kim Varian told us, that’s all that will be needed with these pros.
Last year was a landmark year for Andrea Bocelli’s as it marked the 30th anniversary of his iconic career. Bocelli released a new Duets album, that went #1 on the Classical Music Charts and featured a variety of his most beloved collaborations with Ed Sheeran, Celine Dion, and Luciano Pavarotti, among others, as well as newly recorded tracks with Shania Twain, Chris Stapleton, Karol G, and more. He also released a concert film directed by Sam Wrench, which chronicled his three-day July concert event in Italy. The film Andrea Bocelli 30: The Celebration is currently airing on PBS stations in all tour markets.
Andrea Bocelli has sold nearly 90 million records worldwide. In addition to his sold-out arena-sized concert events and record-breaking live-streams, Bocelli has shared his talents at many major events including the Olympic Games, the World Cup, and Global Citizen. He has earned a Golden Globe, seven Classical BRITs and seven World Music Awards, plus a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Bocelli performed in the Kennedy Centre in Washington Friday at the FIFA soccer grouping draw attended by Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Ticket Information https://www.ticketmaster.ca/andrea-bocelli-in-concert-with-hamilton-hamilton-ontario-12-09-2025/event/10006271BF6D1FEB?landing=c
