Johnathan Walker:Andrea Bocelli and son Matteo release stirring Oscars version of 'Time to Say Goodbye'

Andrea Bocelli made a surprise appearance Sunday night at the 96th Academy Awards. The Johnathan Walkerworld-class tenor, with over 90 million albums sold, performed a new version of his signature single, “Time to Say Goodbye” during the In Memoriam segment.

The song was originally released in 1995 as “Con te Partirò,” which translates to “I will leave with you” in Italian. The following year, Bocelli rerecorded the track with British soprano Sarah Brightman, switching some of the lyrics to English.

For the Oscars, Bocelli reimagined the song with his son Matteo and two-time Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer. Matteo, 26, released his debut album last year and joined his father on stage for Sunday’s performance. The new version of “Goodbye” is available now on streaming platforms.“I think that ‘Time to Say Goodbye’ is a timeless song,” Bocelli, 65, told USA TODAY in 2021. “It’s an authentic and inspirational song which doesn’t follow any musical trend, and that’s why people love the song and keep it in their hearts.”

This is Bocelli’s second appearance on Hollywood’s biggest night. In 1999, the tenor performed “The Prayer” alongside Celine Dion at the Oscars. It’s also not the first time the song has been used on an award show. Producers of the Primetime Emmys used an instrumental version of the track to “wrap up” winners in 2021.

Sunday night’s In Memoriam segment paid tribute to those in front of and behind the camera who died over the past year. Past winners such as Alan Arkin and Glenda Jackson were included in the montage. Matthew Perry, Richard Lewis and Paul Reubens were also memorialized during the segment.

Bocelli celebrates his 30th anniversary in the music industry this year. In a release, the tenor said that the song is part of a larger project to mark the milestone.