What Time Is Andrea Bocelli’s Live Stream on Easter Sunday in Italy?

opera singer Bocelli

Getty Andrea Bocelli

Andrea Bocelli, the acclaimed Italian opera singer, is bringing his music and message of hope to the masses by hosting an Easter Sunday concert that will be available on YouTube. The concert will be streamed live today beginning at 1 p.m. ET. and you can watch it here.

Bocelli will be singing at the empty Duomo Cathedral in Milan, Italy. There will not be a live audience due to social distancing measures in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But anyone with an internet connection can tune in and the specific time varies depending on which time zone you live in.


What Time Does the Concert Start?

Andrea Bocelli will take the microphone beginning at 7 p.m. in Milan, Italy on Sunday, April 12. But for viewers watching from the United States, the concert event will begin earlier in the day:

  • 1 p.m. for those living in the Eastern time zone
  • Noon for those living in the Central time zone
  • 10 a.m. for those living on Pacific Standard Time

Universal Musical Group is producing the live steam event as part of a collaboration with Sugar Music, the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo and the city of Milan. The mayor of the city invited Bocelli to put on this one-of-a-kind performance, Bocelli told NBC News.

The only other person who will be performing alongside Bocelli is the cathedral’s organist, Emanuele Vianelli. It promises to be an incredible performance because, in addition to Bocelli’s celebrated voice, the historic Duomo Cathedral is home to one of the largest pipe organs in the world. The only other people physically present will be a small production crew.

Bocelli is not receiving a fee for this worldwide show. The songs on his playlist include “Ave Maria,” “Domine Deus,” “Sancta Maria,” “Panis Angelica” and “Amazing Grace.” The link for the live stream is available on Bocelli’s YouTube channel here.


Andrea Bocelli Is Describing the Performance as a Prayer, Not a Concert

andrea bocelli

Getty Andrea Bocelli

Andrea Bocelli’s Easter Sunday concert is titled “Music For Hope.” Bocelli explained on His YouTube channel that he views music as a form of prayer and that he hopes to bring the world together with an uplifting message:

On the day in which we celebrate the trust in a life that triumphs, I’m honored and happy to answer “Sì” to the invitation of the City and the Duomo of Milan. I believe in the strength of praying together; I believe in the Christian Easter, a universal symbol of rebirth that everyone – whether they are believers or not – truly needs right now. Thanks to music, streamed live, bringing together millions of clasped hands everywhere in the world, we will hug this wounded Earth’s pulsing heart, this wonderful international forge that is reason for Italian pride. The generous, courageous, proactive Milan and the whole of Italy will be again, and very soon, a winning model, engine of a renaissance that we all hope for. It will be a joy to witness it, in the Duomo, during the Easter celebration which evokes the mystery of birth and rebirth.

Bocelli also explained during an interview with NPR, “I think that, in this moment, music can help. And in this moment, I think it’s very important to do our best to create positivity among the people.”

Bocelli is represented in part by Decca Records Group. The president of the label, Rebecca Allen, explained that the planning was more difficult than usual because every detail was coordinated over phone calls and online video chats.

But she told Billboard that Bocelli and the label jumped at the chance to put on the show in light of how COVID-19 has impacted lives across the globe. “[Bocelli] described this event as a prayer. Not a concert. Not a performance. But a prayer connecting people around the world in this one moment,” Allen said. “I hope that it’s something that lives on and serves to remind us that we came together globally and as communities during these very difficult times… I hope that it brings people a moment of peace. A moment of reflection. A moment to spend with their families that enables us all to move forward.”

Bocelli is also using the event to raise funds for medical workers on the front lines fighting the coronavirus. His foundation’s GoFundMe campaign is asking for donations to help hospitals buy needed equipment. One day before the Easter Sunday concert, Bocelli’s foundation had raised more than 153,000 euros, which is the equivalent of about $167,000.

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