Andrea Bocelli announces rescheduled concerts after doctors warned it could be "dangerous" to sing
BOSTON - Andrea Bocelli is going to make another attempt at performing in Boston this holiday season. The Italian tenor has announced rescheduled dates for a string of postponed concerts amid some rare struggles with his world-renowned voice.
"As many fans now know, Andrea Bocelli has been working through health challenges forcing the famed tenor to postpone four concerts on his current Winter 2023 Tour," the singer's official Facebook page stated.
Bocelli is now scheduled to play the TD Garden on December 20, 2023. He will make up a postponed Baltimore show on February 20, 2024; a Philadelphia concert on February 21, 2024 and a Hartford, Connecticut performance on February 23, 2024.
Andrea Bocelli said doctors told him it could be "dangerous" to sing
Last week's Boston and Philadelphia shows were both called off at the last minute with fans already in their seats. Bocelli revealed in a Facebook post this weekend that doctors told him "it could be dangerous to my health for me to sing."
In Boston, he came out on stage Wednesday night with his wife Veronica Berti to explain the sudden cancellation.
"Believe me, I did all my best to sing tonight, but I can't," he said.
Twenty-four hours later, Bocelli canceled his performance again just before showtime in Philadelphia, telling concertgoers he was unable to sing. He did stay to play keyboard for a performance by his 11-year-old daughter.
"When the doctors told me the other evening that it could be dangerous to my health for me to sing, we wanted to say in music: thank you, sorry, see you very soon," Bocelli posted to Facebook. "We did it by bringing some special guests to the stage, including little Virginia, with me playing the piano."
He previously said in a statement following the Philadelphia cancellation that he works to preserve his voice "with the rigor of an athlete," but performing just wasn't possible.
"It happens that an unexpected problem forces you to stop," Bocelli said. "It rarely happens, and in thirty years of militant concert playing I can count them on one hand, and yet, this time, it happened and I had to accept it."
The 65-year-old Bocelli lost his sight as a child but has gone on to sell more than 80 million albums.
"My voice is back"
Bocelli shared an encouraging update for fans on Tuesday morning.
"I'm pleased to tell you that my voice is back," Bocelli posted to Facebook.
He thanked everyone for their patience during his time away from performing.
"Speaking of patience, it's a virtue I've had to practice recently by stopping and listening silently to what my body needed: some time to recover from a winter cold," Bocelli wrote.
Tickets for rescheduled Andrea Bocelli concerts
Fans who are unable to attend the rescheduled concerts have 14 days to claim a refund. Click here to buy tickets for the new performances.
Bocelli is still scheduled to play concerts at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, followed by two weekend shows in Hollywood, Florida. Bocelli's team posted to Facebook that he is "humbled by all the love and support he has received."
