Cover Andrea Bocelli performs in Macau (Photo: Instagram/@andreabocelliofficial)
Andrea Bocelli performs in Macau (Photo: Instagram/@andreabocelliofficial)
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Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, who performed the anthem ‘DNA (More Than a Game)’ at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Fifa World Cup, talks about transforming opera for the modern audience and inspiring world peace
It had been nine years since Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli set foot in Asia for a performance. Last week, he was in Macau to perform at city’s Galaxy Arena as part of his global tour. Despite having a career spanning more than three decades, he approached his Macau concert with a refreshing sense of humility. “Given that there are now very few places where I have not yet sung after 30 years of performing, I must say that I experience my debut [at Macau’s Galaxy Arena] with great emotion and even a little trepidation,” he says.
The structure of his Macau concert followed his proven formula: a first half dedicated to lyrical pieces, followed by popular romances and songs that audiences have come to expect from his repertoire. Among the notable guests were soprano Mariam Battistelli, Amy Manford and flautist Andrea Griminelli. His son Matteo Bocelli, now a singer, also joined him on stage.
“Together, we tried to create an evening filled with positive energy and beauty,” Bocelli explained. “[As long as] a smile appears on the faces of the spectators leaving the Galaxy Arena, I have achieved my goal.” And he had indeed—his concert ended in rapturous applause and cheer from the crowd.
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Above From left: Matteo Bocelli and Andrea Bocelli (Photo: courtesy of Luca Rossetti and Galaxy Macau)
From left: Matteo Bocelli and Andrea Bocelli (Photo: courtesy of Luca Rossetti and Galaxy Macau)
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Bocelli’s relationship with Macau dates back to 2003, but this particular performance in Macau holds special significance for him. “Singing in Macau is a stimulating experience for me,” he says. “I am fascinated by the mix of traditions that coexist in a city of great vitality, that knows how to have fun, that knows how to renew itself while preserving respect for its history.”
The tenor finds particular resonance in Macau’s unique position as a cultural crossroads. “It is a city that I have heard so much about, a crossroads between East and West, a melting pot of cultures where the famous Ruins of São Paulo coexist with equally famous futuristic buildings.”
Above From left: Mariam Battistelli and Andrea Bocelli (Photo: courtesy of Luca Rossetti and Galaxy Macau)
From left: Mariam Battistelli and Andrea Bocelli (Photo: courtesy of Luca Rossetti and Galaxy Macau)
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Following in the footsteps of his friend and fellow opera great Plácido Domingo, who performed at the Galaxy International Convention Center in Macau months earlier, Bocelli’s appearance reinforces the territory’s growing status as a premier destination for world-class classical music performances.
Throughout his career, Bocelli has remained a steadfast advocate for opera’s relevance in contemporary society. “Opera singing is, to all intents and purposes, a true heritage of mankind that has been arrived at after centuries of study, endeavours and flights of the spirit,” he says.
Above Andrea Griminelli and the Macao Orchestra (Photo: courtesy of Luca Rossetti and Galaxy Macau)
Andrea Griminelli and the Macao Orchestra (Photo: courtesy of Luca Rossetti and Galaxy Macau)
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His description of opera as “the paradise of music” reveals his connection to the art form. He defines opera as “a popular art form capable of giving profound sensations, an experience that elevates the spirit and allows the inexpressible to be expressed. The work deals with human impulses and is therefore perennially topical and universal; it is capable of igniting primary emotions with an intensity that breaks down all cultural and generational barriers.”
Despite concerns about opera’s diminishing appeal in the digital age, Bocelli remains optimistic about its future. “History itself has shown how good music, despite any crisis, always survives,” he says.
His approach to expanding opera’s reach has been deliberate and effective. “In 30 years of activity, I have tried to make my modest contribution precisely to offer a breath of fresh air in a genre that was perhaps in danger of losing some of its popular vocation.”
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Above Andrea Bocelli performing at Galaxy Arena (Photo: courtesy of Luca Rossetti and Galaxy Macau)
Andrea Bocelli performing at Galaxy Arena (Photo: courtesy of Luca Rossetti and Galaxy Macau)
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Bocelli’s crossover success has proven instrumental in this mission. “My fame in the pop sphere has been invaluable to me, over the years, precisely in order to be able to also present masterpieces of melodrama during live performances,” he says. This strategy allows new listeners to discover classical works they might otherwise never encounter.
Bocelli’s love affair with opera began in early childhood, when his parents noticed that opera music would stop his crying in the cradle. A pivotal moment came when he was about six or seven years old. “I received as a gift a record with the interpretation of the Improvviso from Umberto Giordano’s opera Andrea Chénier, by the voice of Franco Corelli, who would become my teacher many years later,” he says. “That listening marked my destiny and helped to clearly show me the way, my vocation.”
Above Amy Manford (Photo: courtesy of Luca Rossetti and Galaxy Macau)
Amy Manford (Photo: courtesy of Luca Rossetti and Galaxy Macau)
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This personal connection to opera fuels his passion for sharing it with others, particularly those who might feel intimidated by its perceived complexity. “It is important, it is crucial, that even a neophyte audience can approach opera without awe,” he says.
As he reflects on his extraordinary career and considers the future, Bocelli maintains a grounded perspective. “I consider myself privileged because the earthly adventure has destined much more for me than I ever dared hope for, in my profession as in my affections,” he says.
His hopes extend beyond his own career to the broader human experience. “My greatest dream is, in the final analysis, to leave future generations a planet without more wars. Because every war is always and in any case wrong, it is a defeat for everyone.”
Above From left: Mariam Battistelli and Andrea Bocelli (Photo: courtesy of Luca Rossetti and Galaxy Macau)
From left: Mariam Battistelli and Andrea Bocelli (Photo: courtesy of Luca Rossetti and Galaxy Macau)
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In this sentiment, Bocelli reveals the depth of his artistic philosophy—that music, particularly opera with its emotional intensity and universal themes, has the power to remind us of our shared humanity. “I believe that good music can help us, in this sense: to remind us that life is an extraordinary gift, of which it is sacrilegious to waste even a single moment, and that good is, for all mankind, the only really viable path.”
As Bocelli continues to perform across Asia and around the world, his concerts serve as living proof that the emotional power of opera remains undiminished, capable of reaching across cultures, generations and languages to touch the human spirit.
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Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
