FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:   Elissa Ruffino (NIAF) 202/939-3106202/939-3106 202/939-3106 or elissa@niaf.org

(WASHINGTON, DC – December 3, 2001) Acclaimed Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli will perform Sunday evening, December 30th at 7:30 PM at America West Arena in Phoenix as part of his Fall/Winter North America Tour. The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) will host a private reception immediately following Bocelli’s concert for people who have purchased their premium concert tickets through the Foundation to benefit the NIAF/Bocelli Scholarship in Music. The NIAF has secured some of the best seats in the house, including select first row-seats.

“We look forward to listening to one of the great tenors of our era, Andrea Bocelli,” said Jerry Colangelo, chairman and CEO of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Phoenix Suns, and NIAF board of director. “Andrea has been a wonderful friend to our Foundation by giving a portion of the concert’s proceeds to a NIAF scholarship established in his name,” added Colangelo.

In October 2000, Andrea Bocelli received the National Italian American Foundation’s U.S./Italy Friendship Award during the NIAF gala awards dinner in Washington, DC. President Clinton, Muhammad Ali and over 3,100 prominent Italians and Italian American leaders in business, sports, entertainment, the professions, and government attended the dinner. Bocelli also performed via satellite with the Boccherino Institute Youth Orchestra from Lucca, Italy during the NIAF gala in honor of the Foundation’s 25th anniversary.

Andrea Bocelli has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide since he entered the American music scene in 1997 with the release of his CD, Romanza and the single “Con Te Partirò” (Time To Say Goodbye). Romanza topped the charts in more than 13 countries and sold more than 500,000 copies in the U.S. alone during the first three months of its release.

In 1999, Bocelli received his first Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, while four of his albums charted simultaneously on the Billboard Top 200 chart, a feat achieved only twice in recent memory by Garth Brooks and U2. Last year also marked Bocelli’s American opera debut with the Detroit Opera Company. Today, millions of Americans continue to watch his PBS television specials and listen to his four platinum albums, Romanza, Aria, Sogno, and Sacred Arias. On September 12, 2000, his sixth album Verdi was released. Bocelli’s first complete opera recording, La Bohème, was released on November 7, 2000.

The NIAF benefit concert and private reception package will sell for $500 per person, with the proceeds of $100 per person to benefit the NIAF Andrea Bocelli Scholarship. All seats are in the VIP section. A limited number of first row seats for $1,000 are available. The VIP tickets with post-concert reception will be sold on a “first-come, first-served basis.” For tickets, contact: Michael Sanzi at 202/387-0 michael@niaf.org.