Andrea Bocelli’s switch from litigation to librettos paid off

Andrea Bocelli, attorney at law?

Before he became a global sensation as the top-selling opera singer in history, the Italian superstar earned his law degree at the University of Pisa and worked as a public defender.

Bocelli’s switch from litigation to librettos came after the blind singer decided his heart was in singing arias and cadenzas.

“I earned a degree in the mid-1980s with a thesis entitled, ‘Natural Law and History according to Montesquieu’ — a topic that I loved and that cost me many months of intense study,” recalled Bocelli, who recently opened his six-city U.S. “Believe” tour and will perform 11 more U.S. dates in December.

“I studied law, in part, giving in to my father’s insistence,” he said in an email interview from his home near Pisa. “But I’m happy to have pursued these studies because law is a fundamental field for everyone, as it proposes rules for human co-existence.”

Bocelli, 63, used a Braille computer and translation software for his law school studies. By night, he sang and played in piano bars. Like the late Ray Charles, he is also an avid chess player.

“Chess was my loyal companion as a pastime since I was a boy,” Bocelli said. “It is an extremely pleasurable game, but also a ‘gym’ that shapes and exercises the mind, (something) truly recommended at the youngest age — because children can benefit from it even for their general learning skills.

“Chess playing concurred to form my clear conviction that nothing in this world happens by chance. And luck, in life just as in chess, is not part of the game!”

Pluck and perseverance have been key for Bocelli. So have his pop-friendly, light classical approach and enthusiastic duets with everyone from Celine Dion and Sarah Brightman to Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa.

Since the release of his 1994 debut, “Il Mare Calmo della Sera,” Bocelli’s albums have sold more than 90 million copies around the world. He pays little heed to reviews from opera critics, who have panned his voice, phrasing and musical approach.

“In the life of every artist, there are positive and negative reviews — it’s part of the game,” said Bocelli, whose U.S. tour was rescheduled from 2020, then from 2021, because of the pandemic.

“Early in my career, I must admit that a few criticisms — those that were not constructive or were poisoned with prejudgment — had at times upset me. But if I were truly worried about reviews, I would have opted for other professions. I am serene and accept with gratitude every critique, even negative or very negative, as long as it’s made with intellectual honesty.”

Bocelli’s youngest son, Matteo, is a special guest artist on the U.S. tour. In a separate email interview from Italy, the singer, 24, cited his dad’s rigor and determination as inspirations for his own career.

“He’s definitely drummed into me that you have to have a very strict work ethic if you want to succeed at this,” said Matteo, who is completing his debut solo album.

“As a kid, it felt like my dad was always away working, and that was hard. But now I realize the level of application and dedication needed. … I’ve tried to take that lesson into my own career — it’s not just going to happen for you if you don’t put the time in.”

Andrea Bocelli stressed that he has never pressured his two sons and daughter to follow in his footsteps.

“All three of my children were brought up studying and playing music, precisely because I think it is an important part of one’s education, a priceless foundation for the development of the human spirit,” Bocelli said.

“I never, however, encouraged them to take it on as a profession, also because I know all too well the pitfalls of show business.”