FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

(Washington, DC—December 1, 2004) Famed Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli recently released his newest CD entitled, “Andrea” with a special event in Los Angeles, Calif. where he also presented the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) Andrea Bocelli Scholarship in Music.

“Andrea Bocelli has been a blessing to our Foundation. Not only is he one of the great talents of our time, but we are fortunate to have him as a loyal supporter of the NIAF,” Frank J. Guarini, NIAF chairman, said.

Longtime supporter and friend of the NIAF, Bocelli established a scholarship in his name through the Foundation. The first NIAF/ Andrea Bocelli Music Scholarship was personally presented last year by Bocelli to a freshman at New York University, who is majoring in music voice performance. On November 15, 2004, Bocelli presented his second scholarship to a student at the Manhattan School of Music during a special dinner in Los Angeles, Calif. This year, NIAF has awarded more than $1.3 million dollars in student scholarships and cultural and language grants across the United States and Italy.

Bocelli received the National Italian American Foundation’s U.S./Italy Friendship Award during the NIAF gala in October 2000. 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. In 1998, Bocelli opened the NIAF Gala in Washington, DC with his rendition of Italy’s national anthem. NIAF has been a partner in Bocelli’s U.S. tours with private post-concert receptions to benefit the NIAF/Bocelli Scholarship in Music for the past five years.

The artist has sold more than 20 million CDs worldwide since he entered the American music scene in 1997 with the release of his CD, Romanza and the single “Con Te Partir” (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. Millions of Americans continue to watch his PBS television specials and listen to his four platinum albums, Romanza, Aria, Sogno, and Sacred Arias. Bocelli’s first complete opera recording, La Bohme, was released in 2000. His recent CDs, Sentimento and Puccini’s Tosca, have been well-received and further secure the tenor’s place in Italian music history.

The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) is a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC and dedicated to preserving the heritage of Italian Americans. Visit www.niaf.org