In an interview with the Travel section of the UK’s Telegraph newspaper, famed Italian tenor, multi-instrumentalist and classical crossover artist Andrea Bocelli spoke affectionately of his time in Israel.
In response to the question “Which was your best holiday,” he responded by saying,“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.”
Bocelli last visited Israel in 2011, when he performed at Masada with members of the Rishon Lezion Symphonic Orchestra and the opera choir.
Bocelli, who was born with glaucoma and lost his sight at the age of 12, has performed all over the world in solo performances and with other renowned musicians. He has sold over 65 million records and won numerous awards, including a Grammy in 1999. He has performed at some of the most famous opera halls in the world and even moved his audience to tears in October 2001, when he performed at a memorial ceremony at Ground Zero for victims of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks.