Of the thousands of live performances Andrea Bocelli has given over the course of his career, his concert at Masada in June 2011 is one he won't forget soon.
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The Italian tenor appeared at the foot of the historical site, and what would have been just another performance – the breathtaking surroundings notwithstanding – turned into a battle against the forces of nature. The heavy desert winds set the microphones hanging from the overhead rigging swinging.
The wind was heavy throughout the evening, and eventually became part of the concert, trying to steal the stage.
"I remember the situation well, because it was a very beautiful place, but the wind was immense. I definitely remember," Bocelli tells Israel Hayom in a phone interview from his home in Tuscany.
Bocelli is planning a "one-time mega concert" in Israel, to take place at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, June 8. Bocelli will appear with the Israel Philharmonic and the Gary Bertini Israeli Choir.
"The audience at Masada was very warm," he says. "Of course, it was harder for me than a regular performance, because it was unusual to be singing and competing with the wind. But I've been in Israel many times, and I have lots of good memories. My first visit was many years ago, when Zubin Mehta called me and asked me to replace a singer who was ill. Since then, I've established a good relationship with Zubin. I recorded 'La Boheme' in Tuscany with Maestro Mehta. I have wonderful memories of Israel, and I'm waiting for more, because it's been a long time since I've had a chance to visit your country."
Q: You also met with the late Shimon Peres. What do you remember from that meeting?
"It was very exciting for me, because Peres was a very important political personality. In meeting with people at his level, I think it's best to listen. On occasions like that, I let the important people talk, because we can learn a lot from them. He was very nice to me. I met him again in Rome, at a charity event. He introduced me to [former PLO leader Yasser] Arafat there."
It was nothing unusual for Bocelli, 63, to be rubbing elbows with the world's greats. After a 30-year career, a wealth of prizes and awards, and over 70 million albums sold, he is certainly one of the greatest names in the world of opera specifically and culture as a whole.
Bocelli is also known for working with some of the hottest names in pop music, and his repertoire includes duets and collaborations with musicians like Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande, and Ed Sheeran.
Q: How important is it to you to join forces with the world of pop music?
"The truth is that I started a career in pop music when I was 18. I got into pop as a youth, when I played hits from bars and nightclubs on the piano. By the way, I don't find that pop and classical music are so different. Ed Sheeran asked me to sing an amazing song with him called 'Perfect Symphony,' because he was looking for a tenor.
"You say it's 'trailblazing,' but in reality, I'm just the latest person to do it. This connection goes back to the 18th century. I believe that it's important to continue the tradition. To touch people, you need to speak their language."
'I knew the pandemic would end'
It's hard to sum up Bocelli's three decades of success. He was born with glaucoma and lost his sight at age 12, but was given one of the most beloved voices of his generation. He is married for a second time and a father of three – two adult sons with his first wife, from whom he separated in 2002, and a young daughter with his current wife, Veronica Berti, who is also his manager.
He sang at the funeral of his good friend and fellow tenor Luciano Pavarotti, who passed away in 2007, and also gave a chilling performance in New York at the end of 2001, months after the 9/11 attacks, staged at Ground Zero on the ruins of the former World Trade Center. Unable to see the devastation, his other senses kicked in.
"I was able to smell what was there. It was a very moving moment, because families of the people killed in the attacks were there. The smells of the tragedy were in the air, and I had to sing at a very critical, sensitive moment.
"I haven't forgotten anything, and I'll never forget the tears. People never stopped crying there. These are things that are hard to explain or describe. Maestro Pavarotti's funeral was also very emotionally loaded for me. He was the person who launched my career, and I'll always be grateful to him."
Another moment in Bocelli's career that quickly became iconic happened at the peak of the COVID pandemic, early in 2020. The first lockdown was in place, and images of coffins in Italy were flooding the news broadcasts and horrifying the world. While all this was going on, Bocelli filmed an Easter concert in the main cathedral in Milan, empty. It was an almost surreal sight, but one that underscored where the world was.
The concert garnered over 40 million views on Bocelli's YouTube channel and provided some comfort for many who were closed in at home, confused. Bocelli himself had contracted the virus, but refused to report it because he didn't want to worry his fans and preferred to protect his family's privacy.
"I don't really consider that performance in the Duomo a concert, but more a prayer for me and for anyone who wanted to join me to remember those the virus took," he says.
"As far as my contracting the virus, I wasn't really worried, because in the end, we were just at home. It was a terrible experience, because the worst thing that can happen is to have your freedom taken away. I missed my audience, I missed the freedom of movement, and being forced to stay at home made me feel like my freedom was stolen.
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"So it was really terrible, but I was also optimistic because I knew that throughout history, all pandemics ended after three years. Even in times and places where there were no antibiotics or medical staff – eventually, it ends, so I wasn't really worried. I was the first one in my house to get it, but I treated it as something that would pass."
Q: How do you view the world after COVID? How has it changed for you?
"There's no doubt that it changed the world, and you can never go back. The pandemic caused radical changes and stirred up fears and lots of other things that were happening below the surface, which we'll need to work on and cope with as a society. Today, the situation in Italy is good. There are no government limitations, but there are still plenty of people who place themselves under restrictions. They still wear masks and can't get back to their former lives."
Advice to his musician son
While it's hard to argue with success, Bocelli has not been a darling of the critics. The New York Times classical music critic wrote in 1999 that Bocelli did not use "proper technique" and claimed that Bocelli did not have true mastery of the notes that came out of his throat. Other critics have claimed that he has difficulty maintaining rhythm, and the Guardian critic was unimpressed by the voice beloved by millions. Bocelli himself does not reveal any offense taken, at least during our conversation.
"Oscar Wilde said that people will forgive you for everything but success. That's how the world works. There's an entire book that is nothing but criticism of the soprano Maria Callas, and she was one of the best-known, most successful singers in the world!"
Q: Your son Matteo recently entered the world of music. What do you think of his work?
"Personally, I like his songs and what he writes, but my opinion isn't too important. What's important is how the audience reacts … Sadly, in the music world the numbers are what matters. One person's opinion carries weight, to a certain point. Obviously, I give Matteo advice when he asks for it, but I think the best advice you can give your children is to serve as an example."
