Florence, 22 July 2026 – From 20 to 29 July 2026, Andrea Bocelli Foundation (ABF) will host its first ABF Voices of Global Gathering, which will unite over 160 young choristers from Nabikabala (Uganda), Jerusalem and Bethlehem (Holy Land), Camerino and Naples (Italy) together with local multidisciplinary teams from the foundation’s flagship project ABF Voices Of. Over ten days, the choristers – ages 8 to 19, and all of whom live in socially vulnerable contexts – will experience moments of conviviality, institutional encounters, and cultural exchange. Their stay will culminate in three significant moments: on July 25, they will perform alongside Andrea Bocelli at the Teatro del Silenzio in Lajatico; on July 27, they are scheduled to perform for President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale in Rome; while on July 29, in Borgo Laudato Si, Castel Gandolfo, the young choristers will meet with Pope Leo XIV that will be accompanied by a musical performance with Maestro Bocelli titled Cantico di Pace.
The Global Gathering comes at a particularly significant moment for the foundation as it celebrates its 15th anniversary. From 2011, in line with its mission “Empowering people and communities,” ABF has been promoting social innovation in communities affected by cultural and socio-economic poverty. Its educational approach nurtures transversal skills through the languages of art, music, and digital technologies. For ABF, social innovation means creating and implementing solutions that generate measurable impact, returning to individuals and communities the power to act as agents of change in shaping global citizenship.
First piloted successfully in Haiti in 2016, ABF Voices Of is the foundation’s flagship global program, an educational journey inspired by the transformative and generative power of music that fosters talent development and strengthens transversal skills in children and youth living in socially vulnerable contexts. Through the creation of youth choirs across four continents, the program promotes creativity, intercultural dialogue, inclusion, and positive leadership – the foundations of active and global citizenship. In every location, activities are co-developed with local partners and teams, following ABF’s hallmark collaborative approach.
“Bringing more than 160 children and young people from such diverse backgrounds to Italy isn’t simply a matter of organizing a trip,” says Laura Biancalani, ABF CEO. “It means building step by step the conditions so that each of them can approach this new experience safely, with awareness, and with support. For many, this will be their first encounter with a country, a language, customs and ways of life that are completely different. The choir is the starting point, but our goal goes beyond music; it is to offer tools for identity, self-awareness, and openness to others, so that this experience can continue to create value even after the students return to their communities.”
“Every voice carries with it a story, heritage, hope,” says Maestro Andrea Bocelli, founder of ABF. “When so many voices come together, from afar and from such diverse life experiences, something happens that goes beyond singing: the possibility to recognize one another, to listen to one another, to feel less distant from one another. Music has this gift. It does not erase differences, but transforms them into harmony.”
