Two of Australia’s vocal powerhouses – soprano Clarissa Spata and tenor Gaetano Bonfante – will come together on September 15 for Bocelli & Brightman – The Tribute Show.
They will be accompanied by the country’s finest musicians, led by maestro Glenn Amer, at The Art House in Wyong.
Bonfante is no stranger to the Central Coast after spending almost every Summer holiday at Bateau Bay since he could remember.
“It is wonderful to be finally performing on the Central Coast,” he said.
Bocelli & Brightman is a tribute to two of the greatest and most influential classical crossover artists of this generation and is packed with hit songs like Memory, Nessun Dorma, Phantom of the Opera, and The Prayer.
Bonfante was born in Australia to Italian parents, growing up in his father’s fruit shop in one Sydney’s Italian suburbs surrounded by beautiful Italian produce, popular Italian movies, classic Neapolitan songs and every dialect imaginable, and a healthy passion for the operatic art form seemed only natural.
His vocal journey began in the school choir at age 10 and Panis Angelicus would be the piece that would introduce him to the immense world of classical music.
Later in his teens, Gaetano began entertaining his beloved community with the beautiful folk songs of southern Italy, popular Italian song and eventually all that was Andrea Bocelli.
Gaetano became the go-to singer for many Australia’s most prestigious events and weddings.
It is here that he learned to connect with an audience, work with an orchestra and grow as a young performer.
His repertoire took Gaetano to some of the most prestigious venues around the world, singing as a special guest on luxury yachts, and in casinos and theatres, and private islands.
The concert stage has been where Gaetano has spent most of his performing life over the past few years with various prestigious engagements throughout Europe, America, Asia and Australia.
Gaetano’s operatic roles include Tamino (Die Zauberfloter), Belmonte (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Alfredo (La Traviata), Rodolfo (La Boheme) and was a principle on the concert platform for the Angeli Custodi Company in Lucca (Italy), Puccini’s hometown.
In January 2016, Gaetano sang the role of Alfredo in Verdi’s La Traviata in 18 cities throughout China with the Australian International Opera Company, performing to audiences who were hearing Verdi live for the very first time.
Australian-Italian soprano Clarissa Spata is one of Australia’s most versatile and exciting artists.
She seamlessly performs across the genres of opera, music theatre and classical crossover which makes her one of the most sought-after artists in the country.
She began her journey towards an operatic career when at age 11, she became a part of the Opera Australia’s Children’s Chorus performing in several seasons of Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci, Turandot and La Bohème.
Principal roles with Opera Australia include Frasquita in the national tour of Carmen, Musetta in La Bohème on Sydney Harbour, and Papagena in the national tour of The Magic Flute.
This year she will be headlining alongside The Italian Tenors on their national Australian tour, and for the second time she will be a guest artist for the Ricordi di Sanremo concerts touring at the Sydney State Theatre, Melbourne Palais, Her Majesty’s Theatre Adelaide, The Fortitude Theatre Brisbane and The Astor Theatre in Perth.
Recently, she made the quarter finals of The Voice Australia, season nine, performing a mix of well-loved arias, opera-rock pieces, and even a twist on a famous excerpt from a choral work.