Photo:Marco Ravagli/Future Publishing/Getty
Marco Ravagli/Future Publishing/Getty
Andrea Bocelli’s younger son Matteo inherited his father’s bone structure — as well as his soaring vocals.
The popular Italian tenor has been releasing music since the early 1990s and keeping classical music in the mainstream, receiving nominations for multipleGrammy Awardsandselling more than 25 million albumsin the U.S. alone (viaBillboard). It’s no surprise that Andrea’s children inherited a love for — and gift of — music.
From working with his famous dad to releasing music of his own, here’s everything to know about Andrea’s second son, Matteo Bocelli.
His dad, Andrea, warned him of the pitfalls of fame
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In November 2018, the Bocelli father-son duet “Fall on Me” launched Matteo’s international presence.
“I hope very much that this would be a first step for Matteo along many steps in his career, but my hope for him especially is that he stays who he is, that he remains anchored to the values that he grew up with in our family and does not fall into the traps that many have fallen into,” Andrea told PEOPLE.
He added, “I would never forgive myself for this debut if that happened. You have to stay modest and humble.”
He co-wrote “Fall on Me” but wasn’t supposed to sing on it
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“He was not in my plans — I actually didn’t want him to participate in the recordings because I believe he needs to finish his studies at the conservatory,” Andrea said in 2018 (through an English translator) of Matteo, who was studying music at the Conservatory of Lucca in Italy at the time (and has since graduated from the program). “But we had a great opportunity, and we took it because it was a great song. But it doesn’t mean in any way that he’s arrived!”
Record producer Bob Ezrin told PEOPLE the story behind the father-son collaboration that Matteo co-wrote for Andrea’s album,Sì.
He continued, “The son who is confused about life and looking for guidance, and the father, who speaks to him maybe from far away and tells him that everything will be okay. It was an experiment; it could have been terrible, but it came out great. From the moment that they sang together, I knew that this was a beautiful, perfect record.”
He and Bella Hadid are longtime friends
In June 2018, Matteo shared a photo on Instagram with modelBella Hadidat a Bulgari dinner in Rome.
“Always good to see a special friend after many years,” Matteocaptioned the post, which Hadid’s mom,Yolanda, liked. “It’s been wonderful to spend some time with you! You were absolutely stunning last night.”
Bella hinted at their longtime friendship in her comment, writing, “12 years later!!!!! So great to see u Teo,” along with two hearts.
He is the middle child
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Andrea has three children: Matteo and his older brother Amos from his first marriage, and daughter Veronica withwife Veronica Berti. All of the Bocelli siblings are musical.
Amos earned a bachelor of arts degree in piano from the Institute of Musical Studies Luigi Boccherini, as well as a bachelor’s and master’s degree in engineering from the University of Pisa.
Virginia, along with Matteo and Andrea, was a featured vocalist on the 2022 holiday albumA Family Christmas, and Amos played the piano.
“My dad taught me how to use my voice, and that influenced my life,” Virginia revealed to PEOPLE in October 2022. “And Matteo told me, ‘You should sing and do everything with no regret.’ "
He started singing as a kid but not in front of Andrea
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“I was always singing since I was a child, but I was doing it just in front of my mom — never my dad because I was a little bit shy,” Matteo explained. “Then one day I said, ‘Probably it’s better if I receive maybe a little direction from my dad.’ "
Now, Matteo added, “I’m used to singing for fun with him. I study with him, so being in the studio with him has been fantastic.”
He started playing piano at age 6
“I’ve been into music since when I was a kid. I was following my dad when I could, and I played the piano since I was 6 years old,” said Matteo, who was hesitant to follow in his dad’s footsteps when he was younger.
“My father the first time said, ‘Why don’t you start playing the piano now just to see if you like it?’ So I started, and, at the beginning, when you’re younger, you want to resist your parents — with this case, it would be my dad. But then, with years, I really appreciated the subject that I was studying.”
He released his debut solo single in 2021
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Released in September 2021, Matteo’s debut single, “Solo,” went in a direction his father’s traditionally classical music doesn’t: the pop route.
He and Andrea performed at Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker’s wedding reception in 2022
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Though already legally married,Kourtney KardashianandTravis Barkerhadanother wedding in Portofino, Italy, in May 2022.
Andrea and Matteo were there to entertain the happy couple and their families after the intimate ceremony.
“Domenico Dolce called us [the week before] and asked if we couldcreate a unique surprise for his friendsKourtney and Travis and all the Kardashian family,” Andrea and Matteo told PEOPLE in a joint statement in May 2022. “Portofino is in everyone’s heart, and we replied positively to such a lovely moment in their life. We wish them all the best for their future together.”
Though this was a high-profile event for Matteo, he was still able to focus on the universality of the celebration he and his father were there for.
“Sometimes, when you follow these people on socials, everything seems so big. And actually,they’re people like everyone elsewith a soul and heart,” Matteo told people in October 2022. “It’s beautiful to have had the chance to meet them and know a little bit more about them.”
His music has been featured in films, including ‘The Simpsons’
Matteo and Andrea’s “Fall on Me” was featured in Disney’sThe Nutcracker and the Four Realms(2018), and Matteo’s own “Cautionary Tale” was on the soundtrack forThree Thousand Years of Longing(2022), in which he also made his feature film debut as an actor.
In the 2022 Disney+ short filmThe Simpsons Meet the Bocellis in Feliz Navidad, Matteo, Andrea and Virginia appear in Springfield as themselves when Homer has the Bocellis sing to Marge as his gift to her. Homer, Bart and Lisa join in, too, as Marge is serenaded with “Feliz Navidad,” a song on the Bocellis’A Family Christmasalbum.
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Leading up to the release of hisdebut self-titled album, Matteo rolled out some singles along the way, including a collaboration withEd Sheeran.
“[Ed] sent me a few songs, but the one that really, really, really I loved so much was ‘Chasing Stars,’ " Matteo told PEOPLE of the song. “The story was fitting so much to myselfbecause, of course, we both had in common the fact that we were born in a family that loved music, and this passion was given from our parents.”
The album, on a whole, was something Matteo pulled from his life experiences.
“I feel like I’ve been able to really put in these songs all the things I wanted to talk about, from love songs to the ones about things that really mean a lot to me in my life, like friendship,” said Matteo.
His first world tour after the album’s release, “A Night with Matteo,” is a challenge for the young artist but one he is eager to take on.
“You can imagine how different it is to go and perform on a stage knowing all those people are there just for you,” he said to PEOPLE. “But we live for this, and I’m super happy.”
source: people.com
