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Andrea Bocelli performing Easter concert from empty Duomo Cathedral

FILE - This Dec. 15, 2016 file photo shows tenor Andrea Bocelli performing with The Philharmonic of New York at Madison Square Garden in New York. Bocelli will give a solo livestreamed performance on Easter Sunday from the main historic cathedral in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Evan Agostini, File)
FILE - This Dec. 15, 2016 file photo shows tenor Andrea Bocelli performing with The Philharmonic of New York at Madison Square Garden in New York. Bocelli will give a solo livestreamed performance on Easter Sunday from the main historic cathedral in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Evan Agostini, File)
By Kelcie Willis
April 8, 2020

Italian Opera singer Andrea Bocelli will perform on Easter Sunday to an empty Duomo cathedral in Milan, Italy.

People reported that the solo concert, Andrea Bocelli: Music for Hope, will be livestreamed on his YouTube channel.

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The venue has been closed amid the coronavirus pandemic, so the 61-year-old singer will perform only with cathedral organist Emanuele Vianelli.

"On the day in which we celebrate the trust in a life that triumphs, I'm honored and happy to answer 'Sì' to the invitation of the City and the Duomo of Milan," Bocelli said in a statement. "I believe in the strength of praying together; I believe in the Christian Easter, a universal symbol of rebirth that everyone — whether they are believers or not — truly needs right now."

“Thanks to music, streamed live, bringing together millions of clasped hands everywhere in the world, we will hug this wounded Earth’s pulsing heart, this wonderful international forge that is reason for Italian pride,” he continued. “It will be a joy to witness it, in the Duomo, during the Easter celebration which evokes the mystery of birth and rebirth.”

Variety reported Bocelli won’t be taking a fee for the performance. The concert will be at 7 p.m. Italian time, or at 1 p.m. ET and 10 a.m. PT.

About the Author

Kelcie Willis is a writer and online content producer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Sociology from the University of Georgia. At the AJC, she covers state, regional and national news with the Content Curation Desk.

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