For opera and classical music, Andrea Bocelli is both a towering ambassador and a true believer. The iconic Italian tenor is convinced the genre must shed its reputation as a "niche phenomenon" and find its way to mainstream audiences worldwide.
"Opera is the paradise of music; I've always believed that," Bocelli tells Billboard Español in Mexico City, where he is set to perform a free concert on Saturday (April 18) at the historic Zócalo, joined by the Minería Symphony Orchestra, Mexican group Los Ángeles Azules, and singer-songwriter Ximena Sariñana.
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"Opera was born a long time ago as a popular musical phenomenon," he continues. "The opera audience today is a cultured one, but I can see that people in general appreciate, understand, and enjoy it — which makes me think the real challenge is simply getting this music in front of the masses."
Opera has captivated audiences for more than four centuries. According to the English National Opera's official website, the art form dates to at least 1607, when Monteverdi's L'Orfeo was staged as a carnival spectacle at the Ducal Palace of Mantua.
"Great composers like Beethoven, Bach, Schubert, Chopin — all of them do good for the soul and spirit," Bocelli observes. "Classical music functions as therapy, and that has been scientifically proven. I believe people are more than ready to embrace it, as long as the right channels exist to bring it to them."
That's why Bocelli believes schools have a vital role to play in introducing young people to classical music and opera. "It's never too late," he says.
Asked about the backlash actor Timothée Chalamet faced after claiming in a February interview with Variety that "no one cares about this anymore" — referring to ballet and opera — Bocelli is characteristically measured: "Beauty has no expiration date."
"When a work of art — musical or otherwise — has genuine depth and substance, it doesn't go out of style, just as Michelangelo's Pietà or Da Vinci's Mona Lisa will never go out of style. These are immortal works that will always move those who encounter them," he adds.
The free Zócalo concert is itself a pointed example of Bocelli's philosophy in action — opera brought without barriers to one of the world's great public squares.
"Speaking of the duet I'll do with Los Ángeles Azules, I'm very curious," the tenor says. "I'm very happy to do this collaboration — these encounters always enrich the experience."
Following Mexico City, Bocelli will continue his Romanza 30th Anniversary World Tour 2026, celebrating his landmark 1997 album Romanza — the best-selling Italian album and best-selling predominantly non-English album of all time, according to Universal Music.
On the Billboard charts, Romanza held the top spot on World Albums for a staggering 51 weeks and climbed to No. 5 on Classical Albums, while reaching No. 35 on the all-genre Billboard 200. Bocelli has accumulated 29 total entries on that chart, including nine top 10s and one No. 1 — achieved in 2018 with Si.
"I remember the success of Romanza caught me by surprise," Bocelli recalls. "I had to learn to manage my strength and energy, because from then on the world felt small — I started traveling across it, far and wide, many times over."
For this commemorative tour — which will visit the U.S. across two legs in September and December — Bocelli had to relearn several album tracks that had long since left his regular repertoire. The effort, he says, was well worth it: "Feeling the love and appreciation the audience has for these songs felt like a reward in itself."
