The World's Most Beloved Tenor Andrea Bocelli Gifts New York City With a Once in a Lifetime Musical Event

NEW YORK, Aug. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Internationally acclaimed tenor Andrea Bocelli will perform a free concert on Central Park's Great Lawn, Thursday, September 15 with the New York Philharmonic, conducted by its music director Alan Gilbert, as a special gift to New York City. This spectacular evening, sure to be a once in a lifetime musical event will be recorded in high definition by THIRTEEN for WNET for national PBS broadcast on GREAT PERFORMANCES in late fall. ANDREA BOCELLI LIVE IN CENTRAL PARK will also be released on CD and DVD by Sugar/Decca this November.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110802/NY45788 )

Free ticket distribution will begin at 9AM, Thursday, August 4. Tickets are required for admittance to this event and can be picked up in person at the following locations:

Borough of Brooklyn:
Brooklyn Academy Of Music
30 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217

Borough of the Bronx:
Paradise Theatre
2413 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10468

Borough of Manhattan:
Best Buy Theater
1515 Broadway, 44th & Broadway, New York, NY 10036

Borough of Queens:
Queens Theatre In The Park
Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY 11368

Borough of Staten Island:
St. George Theatre
35 Hyatt St., Staten Island, NY 10301

Limit four tickets per household while supplies last. For more ticket information, please log onto BocelliCentralPark.com

Bocelli is widely regarded as the most popular Italian tenor in the world with more than 70 million albums sold.  He will present a varied repertoire including his best known and loved songs that have become fan favorites.  Andrea will also be joined by special guest artists to make it a truly memorable evening.  Barilla is the main sponsor of the concert event.

New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said, "The Great Lawn in Central Park is one of the most remarkable and beautiful outdoor venues in the world and it is a great pleasure to welcome Andrea Bocelli back to New York to perform there. This free concert will be a memorable cultural moment for the thousands of New Yorkers and visitors that will watch the event live in the park, and many, many more through the broadcast by WNET."

New York City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe said, "I join the Mayor and all New Yorkers in thanking Andrea Bocelli and all involved in making a beautiful autumn evening full of splendor and world-class music possible, in one of the most cherished outdoor places in New York City.  From the Great Lawn in the heart of Manhattan to the Great Performances series on WNET, where millions more will be able to share this gift, it will be a very special occasion.  A million thank yous.  Grazie mille!"  

Andrea Bocelli comments, "I cannot help but smile when thinking about the upcoming concert in Central Park. 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."  Bocelli continues, "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."    

Sugar Music, the label based in Milan that discovered Andrea Bocelli in 1994, was instrumental in orchestrating this concert event. Filippo Sugar, Sugar Music Chairman and CEO comments, "Sugar Music is delighted that Andrea Bocelli will have the opportunity to share his extraordinary talent with the people of New York City.  This concert fulfills a dream we've had since we began our collaboration.  Andrea and I are also incredibly appreciative for the support of New York City and Barilla, both of whom have been integral in bringing to life this not-to-be-missed concert in Central Park."

"The New York Philharmonic and Andrea Bocelli have teamed up on more than one occasion in the past to joyful musical effect," noted Zarin Mehta, President and Executive Director of the New York Philharmonic.  "This September, in our grandest collaboration to date, New York's own Music Director, Alan Gilbert, conducts the New York Philharmonic in this spectacular concert starring Andrea Bocelli, and a universe of the brightest lights of the world's opera stages.  The magnificent setting, Central Park's Great Lawn, is equal to the beauty and splendor that will certainly define this one of a kind, free event – a gift to the people of New York.  I can't think of a better way for summer in the city to culminate."

Since Great Performances introduced American television audiences to Bocelli with 1997's Romanza concert, the tenor has been featured in a distinguished series of Great Performances specials, including Sacred Arias, Amore, Vivere, My Christmas, and American Dream—his spectacular "Statue of Liberty" concert from New Jersey's Liberty State Park. "Bringing artists of this magnitude to audiences is core to our mission at THIRTEEN," said Neal Shapiro, WNET CEO and President. "This free concert in New York City's ultimate performance space is another way we can make such historic events accessible to audiences who might otherwise find them out of reach."

"Andrea Bocelli embodies the authentic Italian spirit," said Guido Barilla, Chairman, Barilla Group, one of the world's most esteemed Italian food companies. "His music inspires millions, and there is no better place to demonstrate his talent than in New York's Central Park. Barilla and Andrea Bocelli have had a relationship since 2002, when Bocelli's music began appearing in television advertisements throughout the United States. We look forward to sharing the combination of Barilla and Andrea Bocelli with New Yorkers as it is a true expression of the authentic Italian experience."

SOURCE Andrea Bocelli