An Incredible Record of a Historic Night

Released November 14th on Sugar / Universal

SPECIAL GUESTS:

CÈLINE DION, TONY BENNETT, NICOLA BENEDETTI, CHRIS BOTTI, DAVID FOSTER, ANDREA GRIMINELLI, ANA MARĺA MARTĺNEZ, BRYN TERFEL, PRETTY YENDE AND
THE WESTMINSTER SYMPHONIC CHOIR

In one of the most important performances of his life, the world’s most beloved tenor, Andrea Bocelli, gave a unique, dazzling concert to the Great Lawn in Central Park, New York in September 2011.

Captured on audio and video it will be released as Andrea Bocelli Concerto: One Night In Central Park on CD/DVD on November 14th.

Testament to his incredible appeal, Bocelli sang for 60,000 that night joined by an array of guests reflecting his unique position as both the biggest classical star in the world as well as one of its best selling pop stars.

He was accompanied by the New York Philharmonic, conducted by its Music Director Alan Gilbert.

Splitting the night between his classical and popular repertoire, incredible duets made this an extra special occasion.

On “Vicino A Te S’Acqueta” from Andrea Chénier, Bocelli was joined by with Puerto Rican soprano Ana Maria Martinez.

Acclaimed tenor Bryn Terfel features on 2 tracks and as part of the evening, Bocelli recorded five new songs, all of which appear on the CD/DVD, including a stirring “Amazing Grace;” the iconic, “New York, New York,” with Tony Bennett; a swinging rendition of “More,” with Chris Botti and David Foster; “Volare,” also with Foster, and “Your Love (Once Upon A Time In The West)” from the famous film of the same name.

In another historic moment, David Foster played piano as Celine Dion became Bocelli’s partner to recreate their worldwide hit ‘The Prayer’.

For Bocelli, this concert marked a personal journey from his upbringing in the Italian countryside to global acclaim. It was one of his late father’s dreams that his son would perform in Central Park and proved an emotional night, pushing Bocelli to some of his finest performances and leaving the audience in awe.

Andrea Bocelli Concerto: One Night In Central Park CD tracklisting:

ACT 1
1) LA DONNA È MOBILE – RIGOLETTO
2) DI QUELLA PIRA – IL TROVATORE
3) AVE MARIA “CENTRAL PARK VERSION”
4) VICINO A TE S’ACQUETA – ANDREA CHÉNIER – duet with Ana Maria Martinez
5) AU FOND DU TEMPLE SAINT – LES PÊCHEURS DE PERLES – duet with Bryn Terfel
6) O SOAVE FANCIULLA – LA BOHÈME – Duet with Pretty Yende
7) LIBIAMO NE’LIETI CALICI – LA TRAVIATA – with P.Yende, B.Terfel, A.M.Martinez

ACT 2
8) AMAZING GRACE
9) NEW YORK, NEW YORK – duet with Tony Bennett
10) THE PRAYER – duet with Cèline Dion, David Foster ON PIANO
11) MORE (TI GUARDERÒ NEL CUORE) – with Chris Botti on trumpet, David Foster on piano
12) YOUR LOVE (ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST)
13) NEL BLU, DIPINTO DI BLU (VOLARE) – with David Foster on piano
14) FUNICULÌ FUNICULÀ – with Andrea Griminelli on flute
15) EN ARANJUEZ CON TU AMOR– CONCIERTO DE ARANJUEZ – with Nicola Benedetti on violin
16) TIME TO SAY GOODBYE (CON TE PARTIRÒ) – duet with Ana Maria Martinez
17) NESSUN DORMA – TURANDOT

For more information please visit: www.bocellicentralpark.com / www.andreabocelli.com

The World’s Most Popular Classical Singer – Live in Central Park for 60,000 fans

FREE CONCERT WITH THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC

CENTRAL PARK’S GREAT LAWN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

First Tenor Since Luciano Pavarotti To Perform For Central Park

The biggest selling classical artist and best-loved tenor in the world, Andrea Bocelli continues his mission to bring the great classics to fans everywhere with a free concert on Central Park’s Great Lawn.

Fulfilling a lifetime dream on Thursday, September 15th in New York City, ANDREA BOCELLI LIVE IN CENTRAL PARK will also be released on CD and DVD by Sugar/Decca this November.

“I’m lucky enough to reach millions of people and this is an opportunity to perform this music to the largest audience possible,” says Bocelli, “Following in the footsteps of the maestro Pavarotti, it is an honour to take the tradition of the Italian tenor to the world like never before.”

Bocelli is the most popular Italian tenor in the world with more than 70 million albums sold.  He will be joined by the celebrated New York Philharmonic, conducted by its music director Alan Gilbert and will present a varied repertoire including his best known songs and classical greats.  A host of star guest performers will be announced over the coming months.

Bocelli is a unique phenomenon, the best selling classical performer in the world, as well as one of the biggest pop stars on the planet.

The achievements to date are staggering.  Between 1997 and 2004, Bocelli was the best selling classical artist in the world every single year.  For 3 years straight, he held the Number 1 position in the US Classical Charts every week.

His Sacred Arias is the biggest selling arias record of all time. He has won Classical BRIT Awards, Grammys and a Golden Globe and received Oscar nominations.

Last year, his global sales reached the 70 million mark, performed with Mary J. Blige at the Grammys and received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.  He was also the first artist to be granted a concert in the wondrous Duomo of Milan and recently made his recital debut at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House.

Occupying a position between the worlds of classical, pop and celebrity, Bocelli is conscious of the opportunity to make the music he loves as accessible to others as it was to him growing up in Tuscany.

“I cannot help but smile when thinking about a concert in Central Park,” he says, “It was my father’s dream, and my father was right, because my artistic path would have been entirely different without the strong and sincere embrace of this extraordinary city where everything is possible, even when it seems impossible.

“My father will not be there, but I can count on his blessing and his kind and gentle smile to give me courage.  My mother, sitting in the front row, will feel my father too, and they will be together again just like when I was a little boy performing on the fireplace steps.  Perhaps they had secretly dreamed that I might have the opportunity to perform in New York City, and maybe right here in Central Park.”

Barilla is the main sponsor of the concert event.

All information for this special evening, including ticket distribution, will be available at www.bocellicentralpark.com.
About Andrea Bocelli
Tuscan tenor Andrea Bocelli is widely regarded as the most popular Italian and classical singer in the world and has sold 70 million albums worldwide. His voice combines the power of the heroic tone with a youthful tenor’s grace strengthened by an unusually polished timbre.

In 1994 Andrea Bocelli “exploded” onto the world stage with the hit song “Time to Say Goodbye,” topping charts all across the world, including Germany where it became the biggest-selling single in history.  The song alone has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide.

In 1999, his nomination for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards marked the first time a classical artist had been nominated in the category, since 1961.  “The Prayer,” his duet with Celine Dion for the animated film, “The Quest for Camelot,” won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song and was nominated for an Academy Award in the same category.

With the release of his classical album, “Sacred Arias,” Bocelli captured a listing in the Guinness Book of World Records, as he simultaneously held the top three positions on the U.S. classical albums charts.  Five of his albums have since reached the Top 10 on the Billboard 200, and record-setting seven, have topped the classical albums charts in the United States.

In 2006, Bocelli was made a Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, and on March 2, 2010, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has been a guest at New York City’s historic Carnegie Hall, and this past February, made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera House. He is widely regarded as the most popular Italian and classical singer in the world.

About The New York Philharmonic

Founded in 1842, the New York Philharmonic is the oldest symphony orchestra in the United States and one of the oldest in the world.  On May 5, 2010, it performed its 15,000 concert. Music director, Alan Gilbert, began his tenure in September 2009, succeeding a distinguished line of 20th-century musical giants that go back to Gustav Mahler and Arturo Toscanini. Renowned around the globe, the Philharmonic has appeared in 430 cities in 63 countries including the historic visit to Pyongyang, DPRK in February 2008. The orchestra has made nearly 2,000 recordings since 1917, with more than 500 currently available. Credit Suisse is the exclusive sponsor of the New York Philharmonic.