Bocelli Quotes & Sayings

When you're on stage singing, you're naked. Your voice is something very intimate, and that's why I'm scared every time before I perform. It doesn't matter if I'm singing for a king or a queen or the Pope, it's enough to be in front of anybody. I suffer, but I can't do anything about it. — Andrea Bocelli

It is not Christian to go against someone. I am in favour of life. — Andrea Bocelli

Destiny has a lot to do with it, but so do you. You have to persevere, you have to insist. — Andrea Bocelli

In essence, I set myself the objective of doing what I feel is right without having any ambition. — Andrea Bocelli

In singing, you cannot 'cheat' if you want to give emotions to those who are listening. You must have something to tell. — Andrea Bocelli

I don't have an extraordinary degree of self-confidence, but I know the gift I have been given from God, and I try to share it with as many people as possible. — Andrea Bocelli

I was a daredevil before, and after I lost my sight I was the same. I loved riding bikes, scooters and horses. I even learned to box. Muhammad Ali is my hero. — Andrea Bocelli

I am not only fighting against something, I am fighting for something - and I am for life. — Andrea Bocelli

Some of us are born with a weakness for music. As a baby, music would stop whatever thought I was having. If I was worried, it would stop me worrying; if I was crying, it would stop me crying. Music was a healing thing for me. — Andrea Bocelli

I listen to music every day for study reasons, and I confess that I have very little knowledge of what is going on in the hit parades around the world. I have no prejudices for any kind of music genre, and I listen with pleasure to many songs on the radio that my children already know of by heart, while I hear them practically for the first time. — Andrea Bocelli

A country that has really resonated with me and I was really impressed with was Israel. I found that the whole country had a very special atmosphere. I was there to perform, but it was one of the few places that I've visited over the years that I had some free time to explore, and I was hugely impressed by all the religious history there. — Andrea Bocelli

Like stars across the sky, we were born to shine. — Andrea Bocelli

My real passion is for opera. It was born and developed by listening to records, and my dream as a child was to record entire operas when I grew up, and this dream came true. — Andrea Bocelli

What is beautiful enchants me. I mean not just physical beauty but a wider concept of beauty. There is beauty in poetry and in great musical or singing performances. There is beauty everywhere if you can just see it. — Andrea Bocelli

I have big, big stage fright. — Andrea Bocelli

To sing a song is like whispering to a child's ear. It is an art heavily relying on improvisation. — Andrea Bocelli

I am honored I have performed 'Quizas Quizas Quizas' with Jennifer Lopez, an eclectic artist who thanks to the charismatic power of her voice and to her soft sensuality, has managed to make this song particularly convincing. — Andrea Bocelli

The joy of a return is worth the price one pays at the moment of departure. — Andrea Bocelli

For me, the most enjoyable type of singing is opera. It allows you to move, to wear a costume ... to do something with your body. When singing in concert, you have to stand up in front of the audience, next to the conductor, which is less natural. — Andrea Bocelli

Opera singing is in every way of inestimable value; a real heritage for all mankind that has been reached over centuries of studies, attempts, flights of the spirit. — Andrea Bocelli

When you sing and people want that you sing, then you can hope to be great. — Andrea Bocelli

I know that my passion is for opera, but sometimes I like also to sing songs, because there are many beautiful melodies. — Andrea Bocelli

My idol has been Franco Corelli. But every singer can teach you something. — Andrea Bocelli

I don't like crying. I'm a country boy, and we're the product of our upbringing. As a boy, I was told that men don't cry. — Andrea Bocelli

Stage fright is my worst problem. — Andrea Bocelli

I studied to be a lawyer, and after that I did something, obviously, completely different. With change, you learn something. If you do the same thing over and over again, you never learn anything. — Andrea Bocelli

The world is full of many beautiful voices; I will perform with many of them. I love women's voices. — Andrea Bocelli

I'd love to work with Michael Buble, with Tony Bennett, with Damian Marley, with Andrea Bocelli. — Kat Dahlia

Popularity gets up people's noses. But I understand the importance and the function of popular music. There is an artistic purpose. Popular music helps people to develop a curiosity and leads them towards classical music. — Andrea Bocelli

The activity of a singer that sings opera is similar to that of an athlete. — Andrea Bocelli

I was overcome with happiness, love, and tenderness ... Right after he was washed, I studied him with my hands: his downy little head, his little nose, everything on the tiny body. — Andrea Bocelli

To sing a duet together means sharing with someone both the pleasure and the responsibility of making music for an audience which is there to feel enjoyment through music. — Andrea Bocelli

If you have a great love of singing, supported by others' fondness for your voice, then it is worth making every effort, of making every sacrifice, to achieve your goal. A great voice will easily find teachers who are willing to help a struggling young talent, and the ways of the Lord are infinite. — Andrea Bocelli

To be happy when you are travelling, you need to be happy inside before you leave. A positive frame of mind will definitely enhance your travelling experience. If I'm not in a positive frame of mind then the whole thing definitely becomes more of a challenge for me. — Andrea Bocelli

Opera is complex for those who perform it, but also for those who listen to it. It takes more time, more patience and more spirit of sacrifice. All this is well worth it because opera offers such deep sensations that they will remain in a heart for a lifetime. — Andrea Bocelli

When I sing for myself, I sing in a more free, athletic way. When I face an audience, there is always some fear that makes me put the brakes on a bit. — Andrea Bocelli

Singing provides a true sense of lightheartedness. If I sing when I am alone, I feel wonderful. It's freedom. — Andrea Bocelli

I like reading ... French, Russian classics - Gogol, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Flaubert. I also like Hemingway, Virginia Woolf. — Andrea Bocelli

In preparing my thesis, I have had the pleasure of collecting testimonies from colleagues such as Placido Domingo but also from singing teachers and musicologists. The entire course of study has confirmed what I already thought, that the value and meaning of opera singing, at the beginning of the third millennium, remain intact. — Andrea Bocelli

Often, I went in love with some friends in school. And, no, I suffered. Only later, things went better. — Andrea Bocelli

I loved playing football. In this particular match the ball happened to hit my right eye, the only one which I could see light and colour with. — Andrea Bocelli

You have to have great passion, because to sing operatic music requires lots of work. I study for at least two hours every day. The voice is like an instrument and requires constant exercise. — Andrea Bocelli

I have always loved music and singing, and I am open to listen to any type of music. Regardless of my mood, my heart is always set racing when I listen to opera. When I decide which music I want to hear, my choice is almost invariably an opera recording. — Andrea Bocelli

Living is dangerous. The important thing is to know the limits. — Andrea Bocelli

I loved riding bikes and horses. I was eight when I started having lessons, and when my father bought me my own horse I couldn't wait to go off on my own. — Andrea Bocelli

I am a product of my native land, Tuscany, Italy. — Andrea Bocelli

Let me say that I've never thought to conduct because the conductor has to think to the music before the orchestra. And the orchestra comes later. For me, it's terrible. — Andrea Bocelli

I have to face life with a newly found passion. I must rediscover the irresistible will to learn, to live and to love. — Andrea Bocelli

For me, riding a two-wheeler bike was very risky. Counting the pedal strokes before turning a corner and learning to hear the sounds coming from buildings, grass and the climbing frame made all the difference to basic survival and ensured that I didn't end up head-first in the sandpit. — Andrea Bocelli

The fact that I am blind is not what defines my life. It should be of no more interest than my blood type. People wonder if there is a relationship between my lack of sight and the way I sing. But there's no connection. — Andrea Bocelli

I've always known that I was born to sing, ever since I was a child. — Andrea Bocelli

A voice is very intimate. It's something of your own. So there's always this fear, because you feel naked. There's a fear of not reaching up to expectations. As you become more famous, people come and expect to hear something extraordinary, so you don't want to disappoint them. I feel this sense of responsibility. — Andrea Bocelli

I think I don't want to use drugs or medicine, so nothing. The only way is to go on stage and to hope. — Andrea Bocelli

I don't know if One Direction will stand the test of time. I have a niece who goes crazy for them. But the only way to judge art is to wait and see if it becomes evergreen. This takes a bit of time. Adele is a very good musician and I'd like to sing with her. But, again, time will tell if her music will become evergreen. — Andrea Bocelli

Very often, I recognize many, many defects, so I try to improve myself every day. I think my voice is very communicative. — Andrea Bocelli

I have trouble with modern art. But in general, all art forms fascinate me - art is the way human beings express what we can't say in words. — Andrea Bocelli

If you don't have the possibility of listening to music, you can't know if you love it. — Andrea Bocelli

I want to have time for myself, my family and my friends. It's important because in order to sing well, you must have inspiration, and inspiration comes from life, from living. — Andrea Bocelli

I have always felt an excellent rapport ever since my very first concert in Britain at Hampton Court. I have always felt understood. The British understand opera very well. — Andrea Bocelli

I don't like being called 'macho.' Macho basically means stupid and a real Italian man is not macho, he's smart. That's smart in both senses: elegant and clever. — Andrea Bocelli

Success is related to faith. Faith comes first. — Andrea Bocelli

I first started playing in piano bars for three reasons - to make money, to be in the company of my friends - and also to hook up with young girls. I always knew, even before I played in piano bars, about the effect of my voice. — Andrea Bocelli

'Passione' is a selection of the music moments that have accompanied my youth; a collection of cherished memories, of moments, of fleeting emotions, of sleepless nights. — Andrea Bocelli

I did a pop album, 'Sogno,' in 1999. I think it's important to record another pop album because many people love pop music. By this kind of repertoire, some people can later discover classical music. — Andrea Bocelli

When I sing, I think mostly about the music. But I know that, through singing, my body shows everything that I am. I am a very passionate man and I suffer a lot and have a lot of joy also. In my opinion, it is very important for me to find this stimulus and motivation for singing. — Andrea Bocelli

Losing my sight had nothing to do with my focus on music. My passion for music was already there, so it would be a mistake to give too much significance to my blindness. — Andrea Bocelli

If you could have the arms of Hercules, legs as swift as the wind. If you could leap shoulder high above the rim, have the kick of a dolphin, the reflexes of a cat. If you could have all these, you would have the body, you would have the tools. But you would not have greatness until you understand that the strongest muscle is the heart. To me, that's the soul of the Olympic Games. — Andrea Bocelli

I speak to God every day. — Andrea Bocelli

My life experience has taught me nothing happens by chance. Even the idea of the ball in a roulette game: it's not chance it ends up in a certain place. It's forces that are at play. — Andrea Bocelli

It's very important for me to try to relax when I'm travelling, and playing my flute helps me to unwind. — Andrea Bocelli

While they are kids, my children must do as I say. — Andrea Bocelli

Even in the most beautiful music there are some silences, which are there so we can witness the importance of silence. — Andrea Bocelli

I have a European frame of mind and Europe is my home. — Andrea Bocelli

My style in Italian is very old-style. — Andrea Bocelli

I love eating shabu-shabu in Japan - a kind of beef hotpot. But if you're talking about authentic, traditional food, then Italian cooking is one of the best in the world. — Andrea Bocelli

It's important for me who is at the table with me; the moment when everyone speaks to each other and everyone listens. If there's good food, it's much better. — Andrea Bocelli

I prefer to work for my country in a free and independent way. I was born free, and I want to die free. I am always suspicious of ideology. Instead, I respect men with ideas. — Andrea Bocelli

You can be great only if it is your destiny. — Andrea Bocelli

More people are listening to opera, and I'm happy - everybody must be given that opportunity. — Andrea Bocelli

Stage fright is my worst problem. A voice is very intimate. It's something of your own. So there's always this fear, because you feel naked. There's a fear of not reaching up to expectations. — Andrea Bocelli

I'm quite shy, so I hate seeing my private life splashed over the papers. — Andrea Bocelli

When you sing opera you are very far from the people, you are onstage, and between you and the people there is the orchestra. So you have to launch your emotions very, very far. When you sing pop, you are singing very close - the microphone is very close to your mouth. You can whisper your emotions into the microphone. — Andrea Bocelli

I change the language with which I use my voice. In opera, I know I have an orchestra behind me; I have to communicate to people very far from me. — Andrea Bocelli

When a little more than a teenager, I was a piano-bar pianist in the land where I was born and raised, Tuscany. — Andrea Bocelli

I do not think anyone can ever do anything without the help and will of God. — Andrea Bocelli

Criticism in good faith is good. When it's targeted solely to destruction, I'm not interested. — Andrea Bocelli

Probably the first time I left Italy was to travel by train to Lourdes. I went with my mother and my grandmother - who was a very religious person - so it was a pilgrimage of sorts. I remember it as a very intense, but beautiful experience. — Andrea Bocelli

I'm most impressed by the Russian writers, so I love reading the works of Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. Another author who has informed the way I think is the French philosopher, Blaise Pascal. — Andrea Bocelli

Some years ago I gave a concert in the mountains with snow all around, and that was much colder. — Andrea Bocelli

A love song must respect the canons of music beauty, entering the fibers of those who are listening. It must make them dream and pleasantly introduce them to the universe of love. — Andrea Bocelli

I have had the good fortune of being able to sing with many of the finest voices in the world, and for someone who loves voices as I do, this is an enormous privilege. — Andrea Bocelli

It's always beautiful to sing with other great voices. I like voices in general. It's a big privilege to have great singers next to me. — Andrea Bocelli

The most widely criticised singers in the history of opera, Maria Callas and Franco Corelli, happen also to be the best singers. I am honoured for being part of their group. — Andrea Bocelli

The voice is something very mysterious. It's difficult to say what is inside a voice that moves people. — Andrea Bocelli

The voice changes very slowly. I keep mine well under control and try with all my might to keep it exactly as it was at the very beginning. — Andrea Bocelli

I consider the voice a gift from the heavens, and as all the gifts from the heavens, they must be used, but the minute that the heavens call it back then of course I will stop. — Andrea Bocelli

It is the uninvolved parent who has to resort to strictness. — Andrea Bocelli

I have always tried to perform the music I love, and I think I am lucky because my preferences are often the ones of the public. — Andrea Bocelli

I'm ready to do something with Lady Gaga or Andrea Bocelli. I'm really grateful that nothing is out of the realm of possibility. — Carlos Santana

Classical music and pop are two different universes, each with its own difficulties, peculiarities, depth and artistic dignity. In Italy, I think there is a fairly clear line of demarcation, but the history of music is full of fusion. Popular and classical music have always found points of contact, of crossing, exchange, both drawing mutual profit. — Andrea Bocelli