Feast for the senses: Bocelli makes Baltimore debut

Soprano Larisa Martínez smiles at Andrea Bocelli during their Feb. 20 concert at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore. (Courtesy Mike Adams)

Andrea Bocelli’s first-ever performance in Baltimore was a feast for the senses.

As the famed Italian tenor serenaded a sold-out crowd of more than 13,000 at CFG Bank Arena Feb. 20, beams of streaming lights sometimes swirled rhythmically overhead.

A pair of dancers glided across the stage during several ballads, their movements accented on massive video screens behind them. And Bocelli himself – clad in a black bowtie and a shimmering gold jacket – wrapped his arm around guest soprano Larisa Martínez for a spin on the floor during a couple of their duets.

Several times, the white-haired singing sensation seemed to have a playful competition when performing with the likes of Martínez and guest baritone Edward Parks – holding operatic notes for what seemed an eternity.

David Garibaldi painted this image of Andrea Bocelli during the singer’s Baltimore debut Feb. 20, 2024 at CFG Bank Arena. (Courtesy Will Wilkins)

While Bocelli and Parks sang a lush rendition of Bizet’s “Au fond du temple Saint,” artist David Garibaldi frantically slapped paints against a canvass. By the time the song was finished about six minutes later, Garibaldi flipped the image to reveal he had created a colorful portrait of Bocelli – upside-down. The artwork, signed by Garibaldi and Bocelli and emblazoned with “Baltimore,” was auctioned that very night for a high bid of $24,000, the proceeds slated to benefit the Andrea Bocelli Foundation.

Clearly, this was not your grandfather’s classical music concert.

There were moments throughout the evening concert when Steven Mercurio, guest conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, encouraged the crowd to clap along with the music. And the audience wasn’t shy about roaring its approval for what it heard, especially at the concert’s end when it called Bocelli back on stage for two encores, performances of Puccini’s “Nessun dorma” and Sartori’s “Con te Partiro.”

Right before exiting for the final time, Bocelli turned to face the standing crowd. The smiling blind singer kissed his hand, blew a kiss with a wave and was gone.

A few weeks prior to his Baltimore debut, Bocelli told the Catholic Review it was rare after a career of 30 years to debut in a new city. The Catholic singer, who once counted himself agnostic before returning to the faith of his childhood, said he was approaching the concert with a mixture of “immense joy and equally immense trepidation.”

“It’s a show I take very much to heart,” he said, “and I hope to live up to expectations.”

Andrea Bocelli Feb. 20, 2024, performance at CFG Bank Arena featured special light displays. (Courtesy Will Wilkins)

Judging from the warm reception he received, it’s safe to say Bocelli did just that.

What I saw at the concert were people whose affection for Bocelli ran deep. Many were seniors, but there were younger fans, too. Bocelli offered up a mix of opera and a sprinkling of pop, including performances of “The Prayer,” sung with pop star Pia Toscano, and “Miserere,” sung with Italian pop star Zucchero.

Unlike some opera singers, Bocelli is willing to collaborate with performers of varying genres. And, as evidenced by his Baltimore concert, he’s not afraid to dress up classical music with some show-biz theatrics.

“For 30 years, I have been bringing opera to world arenas, performing classic pieces to an audience that is not accustomed to a similar repertory,” he told the Catholic Review. “I don’t like mixing genres, however. I believe that classical and pop music are two worlds apart: each with its own artistic depth and dignity.”

The challenge, he said, is to “always persist in promoting and striving for quality, wherever possible.”

“I had the classic studies of a tenor, but I do sing and know pop,” he said. “I perform in both genres with the greatest honesty and quality possible. Even pop has its own classics.”

The 65-year-old singer said duets, when they work, are capable of “mutually exalting” and increasing the power of the singers’ expressive qualities. Mixing voices, he added, is a “wager that can transform into perfect chemistry” and a “meeting of souls.” The audience at the singer’s Charm City concert was blessed to witness duets that had just the kind of magic the singer described.

Bocelli’s long-awaited appearance in Baltimore was a proud night for the city. Let’s hope he’s back soon.

Read about Bocelli’s Catholic faith: In advance of his Baltimore debut, Andrea Bocelli shares journey of faith

Oh, and as a postscript, I have to mention that when I told my kids about attending the Bocelli concert, they wanted to know if he sang with other people – most specifically, the Muppets, from Sesame Street. Unfortunately, I said, he did not sing with Elmo or his friends. But if you want to make your day, watch the clip below from 2004. It’s guaranteed to make you smile. You’re welcome.