Andrea Bocelli to Perform in Israel this Summer

By Nathan Burstein February 4, 2011

La Scala, the Met … and increasingly, Masada.

The former Roman fortress near the Dead Sea is continuing its emergence as a magnet for world-famous opera stars, with Andrea Bocelli announcing plans on Thursday to perform there this summer. The Italian tenor will sing at the base of the historical landmark on June 12, singing a selection of arias as the closing act of Israel’s International Opera Festival.

Proceeds from the event – which will feature accompaniment by the Rishon Lezion Symphonic Orchestra -will go to the Or Association, which supports residents of the Negev Desert and Galilee.

Bocelli’s concert follows a Masada performance last summer by American superstar soprano Jessye Norman. This visit won’t be Bocelli’s first to Israel – the Pavarotti protege has performed in the past with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as at a 2008 concert on behalf of the Peres Center for Peace in Tel Aviv. He also performed in December at a fundraiser for Friends of the Israel Defense Forces in Los Angeles.

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