'Andrea Bocelli: The Heart of Christmas' will Film in Tuscany, Featuring Duets with Francesca Battistelli and Matteo Bocelli

Contact: Jennifer Willingham, 615-4834729, jennifer@iconmediagroup.com; For Andrea Bocelli, please contact: Allison Elbl, 323-822-4851, aelbl@id-pr.com

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., Dec. 5, 2018 /Standard Newswire/ -- As a part of its robust schedule of Christmas programming to air throughout December, TBN announces it will present "Andrea Bocelli: The Heart of Christmas" on December 20th at 8/7c. Bocelli, one of the world's most beloved classical stars, will perform select Christmas songs, along with music from his new chart-topping album, 'Si.' The music special will feature duets with Bocelli's son, Matteo, and GRAMMY® award-winning Christian singer/songwriter Francesca Battistelli, and will be filmed in and around Bocelli's hometown of Tuscany, Italy. TBN's foreign partners in Italy, UK, Canada, Germany, Central America, South America and other regions around the world will air the special on the 20th as well.

"It was an honor to sit with Andrea Bocelli and his wife Veronica and be invited into their home and hear his personal journey of faith," said TBN President and Chairman, Matt Crouch.

"It's been an absolute joy to welcome TBN viewers into the little church in my beloved birthplace, Lajatico—the exact spot where I discovered, as a child, the power of music as an instrument of prayer," said Bocelli.

One of the most universally loved and recognizable performers on the planet, Andrea Bocelli has sold in-excess of 90 million albums to date, and his latest album 'Sì' has captivated audiences around the world.

The album debuted at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart for the first time in Bocelli's illustrious career and also simultaneously topped the charts in the U.K.

Bocelli's humble manner belies his international status as one of the world's biggest classical stars - he's sung for Popes, Presidents and royalty, performed in all the greatest concert halls and opera houses around the world. He has performed at major international events including the Olympic Games and the World Cup, as well as his own sell-out arena shows. He has a Golden Globe, 7 Classical BRITs and 7 World Music Awards under his belt, plus a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

"It was exciting to celebrate together the approach of the Holy Christmas, chatting with each other face-to-face, discussing the important topics of faith, music, and the true meaning of the Christmas season, which our hearts and souls find regenerative," said Bocelli.

Bocelli continues to tour the world with major shows in the US, Germany, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Canada, Ireland and the UK where fans will have the opportunity to hear his new music. More information on his tour dates here.

"Here at TBN, we are excited to add 'Andrea Bocelli: The Heart of Christmas' to our extensive line-up of holiday specials and new programming on the network," said Tom Newman, Head of Content & Development at TBN. "This beautiful Christmas special is one of the many highlights of our anticipated seasonal programs."

TBN Christmas Programing Calendar:

12/10     "Hope for the Holidays"
12/11     "Christmas with Tye Tribbett and Friends" - Part 1
12/13     "Christmas with the Manns" (feat. David and Tamela Mann)
12/14     "Christmas Joy!" (feat. Ernie Haase & Signature Sound)
12/17     "O Holy Night" (feat. Charles Billingsley & TaRanda Greene)
12/18     "Christmas with Tye Tribbett and Friends" - Part 2
12/20     "Andrea Bocelli: The Heart of Christmas"
12/21     "Celebrate Christmas with Natalie Grant & Danny Gokey"
12/24     "Andrea Bocelli: The Heart of Christmas" (re-air)
12/25     "Because of Bethlehem"

GRAMMY® award-winning artist Francesca Battistelli will accompany Bocelli on two of the special's songs. Since her 2008 Gold-certified debut, Battistelli has propelled three consecutive studio projects to the top of Billboard's Christian Albums chart and notched seven No. 1 radio singles. In addition to one GRAMMY® win and four GRAMMY® nominations, Battistelli has garnered a Billboard Music Award nod, two KLOVE Fan Awards and six Dove Awards, and was named the Gospel Music Association's Artist of the Year.

About the Trinity Broadcasting Network
Trinity Broadcasting Network is the world's largest and most watched faith-and-family broadcaster, reaching over 175 nations across the earth with inspirational and entertaining programming 24 hours a day in 14 languages and on 32 global networks. As the world's most influential non-profit religious broadcaster, TBN has led the way in expanding the impact of faith-based television across the earth through the creation of innovative content designed to reach every viewer demographic with the life-changing message of hope and grace. To find out more about the TBN Networks, visit us at tbn.org.