Tenor for the God
By Xiao Changyan (Beijing Weekend)
Updated: 2004-09-24 09:32

On October 15, international tenor sensation Andrea Bocelli will hold his first solo concert in Beijing, belting out his masterpieces "The Prayer", "My Sun",  "Time To Say Goodbye", and "Rigoletto: La Donna e Mobile". He will even venture into singing Chinese pop songs to the audience. Described by Celine Dion to have 'a godlike voice', the 46-year-old tenor is regarded as a miracle, both in opera and pop music circles.

Andrea Bocelli attracts audience with high sweet floating notes and gentle cadence.

Born to a vintage family in Tuscany, Italy, the gifted singer has been taught in the art of piano, flute, and saxophone since the age of 6, showing great potential for the opera. An accident in a football game took the child's eyesight away forever, challenging his dream to be a world renowned singer. He turned to law as an alternative, completing his doctorate at the University of Pisa, and worked as a lawyer for a few years.

With a dream still in his heart, he succeeded in passing the exams to become a student of the famous tenor Franco Corelli. In order to pay the tuition, he played pianos and sang in a bar. He met Italian rock-n-roll singer Zucchero, who appreciated Bocelli's beautiful voice and asked him to be his partner in music. They sang together in "Miserere", an overnight success. His tour with Zucchero introduced Bocelli to the public at large, winning him international acclaim. In 1994 and 1995, the singer participated in the San Remo Pop Music Festival with "Il Mare Calmo Della Sera "and "Con Te Partir", the latter of which became an international hit.

Bocelli was also a major presence in special events such as the "Pavarotti International" and a "Night of the Proms", appearing with Bryan Ferry, Al Jarreau, and John Miles.

In late 1995, he released an album with the Moscow Symphony Radio Orchestra, entitled "Viaggio", dedicated to the Italian figure who travelled across the four corners of the Earth.

He has been fervently acknowledged throughout Europe, particularly in Germany, where he won the Echo Award in 1997 with the song  "Time To Say Goodbye", with Sarah Brightman, and breaking all sales records for a single recording, selling nearly 3 million copies.

Like the well-known "'Three Tenors", Bocelli crosses the boundaries between classical music, songs of his homelands, and European pop songs frequently and with ease.

"Pop music plays a very important role in my classic musical career. Many music masters such as Enrico Karuso and Beniamino Gigli have sung pop songs. It is a vehicle by which more audience will be attracted to theatre and appreciate opera."

He has conquered his audience with his phenomenal, well-known, vocal signature: long, sweet floating high notes and a gentle sense of cadence in every melody he performs.
The singer admitted he was always nervous when performing.  "With butterflies in my stomach, and entralled with emotion, I am still able to sustain my notes for a great deal of time."

Location: the People's Hall
Price: from 300 to 2,900 yuan
Hotline: 8408-5526/25 ext 516 or 13701266811

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