Today, world-renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli releases his uplifting new album, Believe – a poignant and personal collection of songs, celebrating the power of music to soothe the soul. He is joined on the record by Alison Krauss, the most awarded singer in Grammy history, for a powerful rendition of ‘Amazing Grace’ – watch their new music video HERE.
Also today, Andrea Bocelli announces an exclusive ticketed global livestream event, ‘Believe in Christmas’, to be performed live from the spectacular Teatro Regio di Parma opera house in Italy on 12th December. Filmed in the round, this one-off, multi-camera event featuring Andrea, musicians and special guests, will be streamed to fans around the world, time-zoned to specific regions. Bocelli is teaming up with creative director Franco Dragone (best known for his ground-breaking work with Cirque Du Soleil) for a magical performance to usher in the festive season.
The new album and livestream concert follows Bocelli’s record-breaking ‘Music for Hope’ performance at Easter from the historic Duomo cathedral in Milan which was watched live by millions around the globe. As one of the biggest musical livestream performances of all-time and with over 3 million peak concurrent viewers, it achieved the largest simultaneous audience for a classical livestream in YouTube history. The video received more than 28 million views from across the globe in its first 24 hours.
Believe, co-produced by Steven Mercurio and Haydn Bendall, is a selection of songs that have inspired and sustained Bocelli over the years. There are duets with Alison Krauss and Cecilia Bartoli – two singers whose distinctive voices are celebrated around the world – plus a previously unreleased track from the late, great Italian composer Ennio Morricone, as well as ‘Gratia Plena’ – the closing song from the critically acclaimed new movie, Fatima. Bocelli has also composed his own settings of ‘Ave Maria’ and ‘Padre Nostro’ specially for this record. The themes explored in this new recording are deeply personal to Bocelli, who says, “The concept behind ‘Believe’ is based on three words: faith, hope and charity. These are the three theological virtues of Christianity, yet – quite independently of any religious belief – they are also the three extraordinary keys to giving meaning and completeness to the lives of every one of us.
Musically gifted from birth, Andrea Bocelli is one of the most celebrated singers in modern history, performing at major international events including the Olympic Games and the World Cup, as well as his own sell-out arena shows around the world. He has a Golden Globe, seven Classical BRITs and seven World Music Awards under his belt, plus a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His previous album, Si, reached No.1 on both the US and UK charts.
With a decorated career spanning more than a quarter of a century, having amassed millions of fans around the world with his emotive and instantly recognisable voice, Bocelli has collaborated with a host of A-list stars including Luciano Pavarotti, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Céline Dion, Tony Bennett and many more.
Ultimately, Bocelli understands that all music is good for the soul in a way that taps into the most subtle nuances of humanity, irrespective of individual belief: “Good music brings with it a powerful message of peace and fellowship, teaching us about beauty, and helping us to open our hearts and minds.”
Andrea Bocelli’s Believe is out now on Sugar/Decca Records
