bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Blind artist to give first concert in Hong Kong tomorrow

Andrea Bocelli,  the blind Italian tenor known for moving people to tears with his voice, says the subtleties of Cantonese and Putonghua are like music to his ears.

Dressed in a black velvet mandarin suit and speaking through an interpreter, Bocelli  yesterday told Hong Kong media that Chinese people probably have an ear for his music. He has already experienced Chinese culture, performing in Shanghai in December.

'Chinese people are very open to other cultures and can really appreciate Italian art,' he said arriving for his first concert in the city.

'This is my first time in Hong Kong, so I am not sure what the audience will be like. But just from hearing the Chinese language, I can suspect that they will have an ear for opera because their language is full of subtle tones. It is very lovely to listen to, like music to my ears.'

Tickets for his concert tomorrow are believed to be  the most expensive concert tickets to go on sale in Hong Kong.

The front-row seats at the Convention and Exhibition Centre's Grand Hall cost $3,888, then down to $2,888 and $1,888. The cheapest seats, at $1088, have sold out.

'He's an expensive artist,' Tod Weston Smith,  president of promoting company Wolfman Jack Entertainment, said of Bocelli,  'and we are in the Grand Hall, which has fewer seats. That's why the tickets are expensive.'

Bocelli,  who has been blind since his eyes were injured when he was 12, rose to fame in 1994 with the release of his first album.  He has since sung and recorded with soprano Sarah Brightman  and Celine Dion.  At age 45, he  has already sold more than 50 million CDs.

Despite the critical acclaim and years of touring, he must still overcome stage fright whenever he performs.

'Every time I'm on the stage, I get a little scared,' he said yesterday. 'Even if you're a great singer, you're never sure about your voice. The judgment and consideration of people is something I think about all the time and it's a big responsibility.'

Bocelli  will perform with the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra tomorrow night, along with conductor Marcello Rota  and soprano Maria Luigia Borsi.

He will then leave for Singapore on Saturday for the rest of his Asian tour.



Chinese language music to tenor's ears