Riccardo Cocciante
Taormina Ancient Theatre, August 10, 2025 @ 9:00pm
Riccardo Cocciante also known in French-speaking countries and the United States as Richard Cocciante, is an Italian and French singer and songwriter. He in 1946 in Saigon, French Indochina (now Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam), to an Italian father and a French mother. At the age of 11, he moved to Rome, Italy, where he attended the Lycée français Chateaubriand.
Cocciante had his breakout one year later with “Bella senz’anima”, which turned to be a major hit but also raised controversities, being considered sexist and being censored on Italian television. In 1976, he got another number one spot on the Italian hit parade with “Margherita”, his signature song. The same year, he covered the Beatles song “Michelle”, featuring the London Symphony Orchestra, for the musical documentary All This and World War II.
In 1983, Cocciante was the first Italian artist to be signed to Virgin Records. Following several more hits, notably the 1985 duet with Mina “Questione di feeling”, in 1987 he moved to Florida, and except for a live album he took a long artistic break.
In 1998, Cocciante composed Notre-Dame de Paris, a musical adaptation of Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame; the musical, with lyrics by Luc Plamondon in its French version and by Pasquale Panella in its Italian version, proved to be a worldwide success, and the relevant CDs sold about 10 million copies. Other two successful musicals followed: Le Petit Prince, and Giulietta e Romeo. He also made a Chinese-language adaptation of Giacomo Puccini’s opera Turandot, which was directed by Zhang Yimou.
TICKETS on ticketone
Platea: € 40,00
Gallery: € 30,00
Cavea, non-numbered seats: € 20,00
MORE INFO
WHERE TO STAY
Hotel La Pensione Svizzera – Hotel Villa Schuler – Hotel Villa Ducale – Hotel Villa Carlotta
