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Alessandro Safina (Italy)
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March 26, 19:00
Crocus City Hall 
At the age of 17 Alessandro applied at the well-established Conservatorio di Musica 'Luigi Cherubini' in Florence. His application was naturally accepted, and he was soon performing the leading parts of famous operas on various European stages. In 1989, he won the first prize at the 'Concorso Lirico Internazionale' in Mantova, a competition dedicated to Italian soprano singer Katia Ricciarelli. The prize marked the start of a brilliant career in the world of opera. In the 1990s, Safina's impressive vocal talents met the eyes of renowned Italian pianist and composer Romano Musumarra, and the pair quickly began to record together, starting with the song "La Sete di Vivere", in attempt to bring Safina's dream of creating a "soulful new pop opera music" to fruition. The end result was Alessandro's debut album "Insieme A Te", released in 1999. The record is full of classic, soul and musical elements - Safina calls it "Opera-Rock"; prior to its release, the singer presented his new musical style for the first time in front of a live audience at the famous Olympia theatre in Paris. Safina's definitive breakthrough to a pop audience took place in The Netherlands in November 2000, when he performed at the prestigious The Night Of The Proms celebration. His single "Luna" stayed at the top of the charts for 14 weeks.
"Insieme A Te" was eventually released in over 30 countries, received gold in Brazil and Taiwan and became four times platinum in The Netherlands within a few months. In 2002, Safina made his feature film debut, taking on the part of the painter Mario Cavaradossi in "Tosca E Altre Due", a movie based on Giacomo Puccini's opera 'Tosca'. In September 2003, his new album "Musica Di Te" is released to great critical acclaim. Contributors to the album include the famous London Chamber Orchestra and renowned guitar player Carlos Santana in the producer's chair.
Alessandro's third album "Sognami", is released in April 2007, and sees the Italian tenor tightening his exceptional position on the contemporary music scene. His unparalleled strength and sensuality, great implicitness, intensity in style and intuitive understatement, are put forth in remarkable fashion by German producer Alex Christensen. "Sognami" is filled with wonderful songs, a delicately arranged mixture of Venetian flair and 'Chanson', Belcanto-enamel and Latin flavour, delivered in Safina's unmistakable timbre.
"Alessandro surpassed all my expectations because he can work with his voice as if he is working with an instrument. He lets things go and drives them the right way", Alex Christensen says. "I don't listen to my old albums if I am recording a new one", says the singer, "I always try to find songs I really like". In Annie's Song, John Denver writes: 'You fill up my senses, come fill me again'. This is truly the way somebody feels when listening to "Sognami" for the first time. The album is released in 30 countries.
After the release of his new album Alessandro became a guest of many TV-shows and one of the performing artists during the world-wide broadcasted official declaration ceremony of the 'New 7 Wonders of the World'. Late December 2007 the tenor received praise again for his role as Count Danilo Danilowitsch in the operetta "La Vedova Allegra" at Teatro Dell’Opera in Rome.
Mid-January 2008 a PBS special of Sarah Brightman's concert Symphony in Vienna was taped in the Stephansdom, where she and Alessandro dueted two beautiful songs. The concert was broadcasted all over the USA and was released by PBS on DVD.
More info
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