Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli performs with his daughter Virginia at a concert in Al-Ula, northwestern Saudi Arabia, April 8, 2021. The Italian legendary tenor Andrea Bocelli on Thursday evening performed within the walls of Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. (The Royal Commission for AlUla/Handout via Xinhua)
RIYADH, April 9 (Xinhua) -- The Italian legendary tenor Andrea Bocelli on Thursday evening performed within the walls of Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The master tenor was joined by musicians from the Arabian Philharmonic and special guests Loren Allred, Matteo Bocelli, soprano Francesca Maionchi, and pianist Eugene Kohn.
The concert was about a celebration of life and music, said Bocelli.
The world-renowned tenor surprised the evening with a performance joined by his 9-year-old daughter Virginia Bocelli, singing Leonard Cohen's song "Hallelujah."
The concert is the first time Bocelli sharing the stage with both his daughter and son Matteo. The multi-talented family demonstrated their musical prowess.
Built in the first century A.D. by the Nabataean Kingdom, Hegra is an ancient desert city home to thousands of tombs cut into sandstone mountains, and is now the best known and most recognized site in AlUla, a desert region in northern Saudi Arabia.
Bocelli said performing in such a setting was a very special moment for the family and for all the musicians on stage. "To be here creating a piece of history in such an inspirational setting, so rich in human ingenuity, heritage and culture, is truly a moment we will never forget." Enditem
