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Matteo Bocelli
The Annette and Jack Friedland Memorial Lecture
Rising classical crossover star Matteo Bocelli is blazing a trail, selling out tours in Europe, North America and Australia. From his first appearance on single “Fall On Me” with his father, Andrea Bocelli in 2018, to singing a reimagined version of “Time To Say Goodbye” with new composition from Hans Zimmer at the 2024 Oscars, Matteo Bocelli’s career has been going from strength to strength.
Matteo has performed on some of the world’s biggest stages. His “Night With Matteo” tour has sold out globally-renowned venues including the Sydney Opera House and the Country Music Hall of Fame. He has opened for musical legend Lionel Richie and sung for His Majesty Charles III.
His debut live performance at age 18 was at Rome’s Colosseum, and in 2018 he and his father released “Fall on Me,” a stirring duet amassing over 400 million global streams to date. In 2020 Matteo released “Solo,” a breathtaking love song showing off his exquisite phrasing over a track that combines melodic arpeggios with the dramatic sweep of EDM.
Matteo’s 2023 self-titled debut album displays all the facets of his artistry — not just his strong yet vulnerable vocal style, but his songwriting as well. The record also features the singer’s hero, Ed Sheeran, who wrote “Chasing Stars” for Matteo, a sweeping ballad that shows off his upper register.
In 2022 Matteo released “A Family Christmas,” alongside father Andrea and younger sister, Virginia, featured on a Christmas episode of “The Simpsons.” Matteo’s solo tour continues across 2024 with dates in Europe, North and Latin America. He is also the face of Guess Menswear.
Annette and Jack Friedland were long-time members of The Society of the Four Arts. They met in 1947 and married in June 1948. Jack was the owner and president of the former Food Fair supermarket chain. The couple were frequent guests at galas and events in Philadelphia, New York, and Florida. In addition to The Four Arts, the Friedlands were supporters of the Norton Museum of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Barnes Foundation, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Museum of the American Revolution. Annette was a trustee of the Four Arts and assiduous participant in Four Arts programs.