When Andrea Bocelli joined the world of science by singing Verdi with a robot conductor

1 October 2024, 17:08

Andrea Bocelli sings with YuMi, the conducting robot

In a historic Tuscan opera house, the Italian singer joined experts in mechanical engineering for a world-first in robotics.

Star Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli is accustomed to big stages, leading orchestras and working with the world’s finest conductors. However, on a September evening in Tuscany back in 2017, he worked in quite a different musical pairing.

YuMi, a robot developed in Switzerland, joined the singer on stage with the Tuscany-based Lucca Philharmonic. The very modern performance took place in the historic and ornate Teatro Verdi in Pisa.

ABB, the technology company behind the high-tech creation claimed YuMi was the world’s “first collaborative dual-arm robot”. Its abilities to gesture and direct music were showcased with soloists and orchestra at a charity gala as part of the 2017 International Robotics Festival.

At the concert, Bocelli sang while YuMi conducted ‘La donna è mobile’ from Verdi’s Rigoletto, with the robot giving the orchestra the precision gestures required. Soprano Maria Luigia Borsis also joined alongside the robot, singing ‘O mio babbino caro’ from Puccini’s opera Gianni Schicchi. Watch the performance above.

Read more: Robot conductor gives a history-making orchestral debut in South Korea

The robot did rely on humans to prepare. ABB says YuMi used movements of Italian conductor Andrea Colombini, who helped the machine learn the music.

Colombini said YuMi “has a very high level of fluidity of gesture, incredible softness and expressive nuancing”. He stressed that it was unlikely the machines would take his job any time soon, but that they will have value a helpful assistant.

“The robot uses its arm, but the soul, the spirit, are always those of man,” the conductor said.

And when you want a moment of soul and spirit in Tuscany, there’s one singer to call on.

Over his 30-year career, Andrea Bocelli has travelled the world and brought his artistry to millions of adoring listeners. We’re sure YuMi enjoyed their chance to play with one of the world’s most in-demand artists – so maybe there’s one more slightly more electronic fan out there now too.