Andrea and Veronica Bocelli Reflect on the First 15 Years of the ABF Foundation

From music to social activism, through a deep connection to the Mediterranean

Veronica and Andrea Bocelli are a pretty common sight in Sardinia. Their yacht has been spotted several times in the Gulf of Porto Cervo, and Andrea’s beautiful voice echoed, not too long ago one summer, over the crystal-clear waters washing the beach of the Romazzino hotel. We met with them for the 15th anniversary celebrations of the ABF Foundation, the non-profit that supports education and social inclusion by offering growth opportunities to people and communities in need around the world.

The sea has always been an important presence in your life, from Versilia to Sardinia. What emotions do these places give you when they also become the setting for your music?

Andrea Bocelli: The sea has been with me since childhood. I have vivid memories of going out on a rubber dinghy with my father and brother, little adventures that felt immense back then. Over time, it has also become a place of reflection, where I can restore body and spirit. On the boat, in the silence, I can study and focus in a different way: a score reveals itself more clearly. When the sea becomes the backdrop for music, the landscape enters the evening even before the singing. It brings light, wind, memory. The voice has to respect all of this and try, in moderation, to give back a part of it.

Having lived for many years in close contact with the sea, what atmospheres represent the essence of the Mediterranean summer to you?

Veronica Bocelli: For me, the Mediterranean summer is coming back to the port at sunset, the time when the sea calms down and fills with recognizable sounds: boats coming in, the shrouds clinking, water against the hulls, children on the piers. It’s a magical moment. In Versilia, there’s the shoreline, families and the color of Alpemare. In Sardinia, I find the same light, maybe even stronger. I’m a very active person, but the sea and the sun make me slow down, return to my family and a peace that’s hard to find elsewhere.

The ABF Foundation is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year: what achievements are you most proud of?

AB: Born from a desire to do good, the Foundation has become a solid and recognizable reality, able to transform its values into concrete projects. I think of schools, educational initiatives, working alongside pediatric hospitals and interventions in the most vulnerable contexts, both in Italy and abroad. But the most significant result has been creating real opportunities for children and communities, by providing tools for growth and new prospects. When doing good becomes consistent, it produces lasting change.

What are the most important challenges ABF will face in the future?

VB: The main challenge will be to keep growing while maintaining quality, rigor and identity. Expanding our reach without losing what has made the Foundation credible is key, especially in contexts that require a stable presence. We will continue to invest in education, which remains at the heart of our mission, through increasingly structured projects that can create partnerships between institutions, communities and different skills.

How do you manage to combine art, family life and philanthropic work? VB: I’ve never seen these areas as separate. It all starts with family, where you learn care, a sense of time and responsibility. Andrea’s work, mine and the Foundation’s efforts take shape from this basis. It requires balance, but when what you love and what you believe in share the same horizon, everything finds its own harmony.

How much can your elegant image and charisma help raise public awareness for the Foundation’s causes?

VB: Visibility is only useful if it manages to draw attention to something that matters more than us. It can bring new people to the Foundation, but credibility comes from the work, consistency and seriousness of the projects. Your image can open a door; it’s the actions that give it value.

If you had to describe your relationship in three words, what would they be?

AB: Love, trust and responsibility. Love is the force that gives meaning to what is worth keeping. Trust is the foundation of every shared journey. Responsibility is the way we try to honor the gifts we receive, both within the family and in our commitment to others.

What moment made you feel part of a true ‘global family’?

AB: More than a single event, I think of a journey. The ABF Voices Of project comes from the idea that music can be education, meeting and shared growth. That’s why I feel especially moved when I think of the 2026 Global Gathering in Lajatico, when the youth choirs will gather at the Teatro del Silenzio. It will be a concrete testament to how music can create authentic and lasting bonds.