Musicians collaborate on gift of Olympic song

World-renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, internationally acclaimed Chinese pianist Lang Lang and famous Chinese soprano Lei Jia have united for a brand new song titled Forever You and Me, which is a musical gift to the Beijing Winter Olympic Games.

A cultural gift presented by musicians from China and Italy – as Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo will host the Olympic Winter Games in 2026 –the song is sung in both Chinese and English by Bocelli and Lei, with Lang on piano. The song is composed by Shu Nan with lyrics from Zhang Heping.

"It is a great joy for me to collaborate with two extraordinary Chinese artists–the soprano Lei Jia, who was a happy surprise for me, and the pianist Lang Lang: a dear friend, with whom making music is always a moment of great artistic enhancement,"said Bocelli.

"As an artist, I believe it is my responsibility to speak to everyone's heart. It was an honor to be able to give my modest contribution to the most grand sports event on earth, which takes place in a country that I love and where one-third of the world's population lives; a country extraordinarily rich in history of thousands of years," he said. "Culture and art, at every latitude, is an instrument of mutual understanding and precious support for the development and peace of the world, bringing people together and immediately eliminate any possible mistrust."

"The song is very beautifully written, which strikes a chord with my heart. I hope it brings people together around the world through its wonderful harmonies and uplifting message. Andrea and I have worked together on many musical works before, and Lei Jia has also been a good friend of mine for many years. It is a pleasure to work with them to present a musical gift to the Winter Games," said the pianist.

Lei added: "To me Forever You and Me is an echo or recollection of the Beijing Summer Olympics 14 years ago. It also calls out an image of Beijing as the world's first dual Olympic city. The melody is warm and touching, the lyrics evoke Chinese culture. We'd love to share our passion for the sports of snow and ice with everyone in the world. I believe the song will stay in the hearts of people around the globe."

Longtime collaborators Zhang and Shu said that the new song reflects the traditional Chinese philosophy of, "Ultimate truth shall be of ultimate simplicity". With its simple but meaningful lyrics, tender yet powerful tunes, Forever You and Me is an ode to the Olympic spirit – peace, friendship and unity, calling for togetherness, cooperation and hope.

The composer worked with the soprano in Beijing, and Bocelli recorded his part from Milan, while Lang was in Paris to record the piano.