Hayley Dee Westenra is a New Zealand classical crossover singer and songwriter. Her first internationally released album, Pure, reached number one on the UK classical charts in 2003 and has sold more than two million copies worldwide, making it one of the fastest selling albums in her country's history.
Andrea Bocelli is an Italian tenor. He was born visually impaired, with congenital glaucoma, and at the age of 12, Bocelli became completely blind, following a brain hemorrhage resulting from a football accident. After performing evenings in piano bars and competing in local singing contests, Bocelli signed his first recording contract with the Sugar Music label. He rose to fame in 1994, winning the newcomer’s section of the 44th Sanremo Music Festival performing "Il mare calmo della sera".
Aled Jones, is a Welsh singer, radio and television presenter, and actor. As a teenage chorister, he gained widespread fame in 1985 with his recording of "Walking in the Air", which reached the UK top five. Since then he has worked in television with the BBC and ITV, and on radio.
The Classic BRIT Awards are an annual awards ceremony held in the United Kingdom covering aspects of classical and crossover music, and are the equivalent of popular music's Brit Awards. The awards are organised by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and were inaugurated in 2000 "in recognition of the achievements of classical musicians and the growth of classical music sales in the UK".
Sacred Arias, is the sixth studio album by Andrea Bocelli.
Pure is the first internationally released album by Christchurch, New Zealand soprano Hayley Westenra. It became the highest selling New Zealand Album, which Westenra was awarded by at the New Zealand Music Awards of 2004. It was published by the Decca Music Group label in 2003. It was distributed in the United States by Universal Classics in 2004. During its first week of sales it sold 19,068 copies. As of 2007, Pure is the best selling classical album for the 21st century in the UK, and in New Zealand remains the best selling album from a New Zealand artist.
Minako Kudo, better known as Minako Honda, later changed to Minako Honda., was a Japanese idol and musical singer. In 1985, she made her debut with the single "Satsui no Vacane".
Odyssey is the second internationally published album by Hayley Westenra. Her other previous albums, with the exception of Pure, were released only in New Zealand and Australia. It was published by the Decca Music Group label in 2005.
"Con te partirò" is an Italian song written by Francesco Sartori (music) and Lucio Quarantotto (lyrics). It was first performed by Andrea Bocelli at the 1995 Sanremo Music Festival and recorded on his album of the same year, Bocelli. The single was first released as an A-side single with "Vivere" in 1995, topping the charts, first in France, where it became one of the best-selling singles of all-time, and then in Belgium, breaking the all-time record sales there.
"Ave Maria" is a much-recorded aria, composed by Vladimir Vavilov around 1970. Vavilov himself published and recorded it in 1970 on the Melodiya label with the ascription "Anonymous". It is believed that organist Mark Shakhin, one of the performers on the "Melodiya" LP, first ascribed the work to Giulio Caccini after Vavilov's death, and gave the "newly-discovered scores" to other musicians. The organist Oleg Yanchenko then made an arrangement of the aria for a recording by Irina Arkhipova in 1987, after which the piece came to be famous worldwide.
Cecilia is a classical crossover singer, originally from Norway, who is known for her rendition of "Amazing Grace". She has released seven albums, two via Universal Music, and performed worldwide, selling several hundred thousand albums with virtually no mainstream publicity.
The Best of Andrea Bocelli: Vivere is the first greatest hits album released by Italian pop tenor Andrea Bocelli. It includes five new studio recordings and was internationally released by Sugar on 22 October 2007.
Viaggio Italiano is Andrea Bocelli's third studio album and first classical album.
My Christmas is the thirteenth studio album and first Christmas album released by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.
Camilla Kerslake is an English classical crossover singer from London who was the first signing to Gary Barlow's record label. She released her debut album on 23 November 2009 in the UK.
River of Dreams: The Very Best of Hayley Westenra is a Greatest hits album released in UK and New Zealand by Christchurch soprano Hayley Westenra.
Prelude to a Dream is the debut studio album of American singer Jackie Evancho, released on November 10, 2009. Evancho was nine years old when the album was released. The album consists mainly of covers of classical crossover songs such as Andrea Bocelli's "Con te partirò" and "The Prayer", Josh Groban's "To Where You Are" and Martina McBride's "Concrete Angel", and also included some classical pieces and a rendition of "Amazing Grace", among other selections.
Concerto: One Night in Central Park is a live album by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.
"Sancta Maria" is a Latin-language soprano aria based on the Intermezzo from the opera Cavalleria Rusticana, composed by Pietro Mascagni. It uses some of the same lyrics as Ave Maria and has become a popular concert piece. It also has been recorded by several singers, like Sissel Kyrkjebø, Charlotte Church, Katherine Jenkins and the tenors Andrea Bocelli and Friar Alessandro.
