When some people’s career, and life, literally “takes off” we may think it is only a matter of fortune: they were in the right place at the right time. Nevertheless, in most cases this wouldn’t be enough, as it takes talent and courage to seize opportunities. And this trio of young Italian artists called “Il Volo” definitely has both.
Tenors Ignazio Boschetto (18) and Piero Barone (19), and baritone Gianluca Ginoble (18) met by chance four years ago on the occasion of the talent competition Ti lascio una canzone, featuring 20th century popular Italian hits, where they participated as soloists until the farseeing panel of judges suggested to create a trio.
Thanks to the manager Michele Torpedine and producers Humberto Gatica and Tony Renis, they became the first Italian singers to sign a contract with an American label, the Interscope Records, owned by the Universal Music Group and located in Santa Monica.
The band’s repertoire remains linked to Italian popular music, but also involves collaborations with American composer Bill Ross (Barbra Streisand), songwriters Mark Portmann (Celine Dion) and Diane Warren (Aerosmith), and internationally renowned artists such as Eros Ramazzotti and Placido Domingo.
Their debut album “Il Volo” as well as the latest “We are love” are intended to win over not only classical music lovers, but also younger generations with a new, original genre called “Operatic Pop”.
The amazing success of these teenage lyric singers – who have performed in 56 countries, making Italian traditional music known all over the world – has also been triggered by several appearances on American Idol and other popular TV shows in the U.S. (The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Good Morning America).
On August 28, “Il Volo” will play at the Gibson Amphitheater of the Universal Studios in Los Angeles, as part of a 20-date tour in the USA and Canada, including cover versions of Italian and American hits, unreleased pieces and solo performances.
A few days before the tour’s kick-off, Gianluca talks about this extraordinary twist of fate: “I almost feel like I am living two lives at the same time. My own friends can’t believe I have become so famous, as many of them don’t listen to this kind of music. “Il Volo” has a greater following in foreign countries, where this genre is much more appreciated. Our main target remains the United States, but we are working hard also in Italy“.
In November, the trio will release a Christmas album, followed by a collection of the best Italian and American love songs of all times.
Have they ever imagined such an extraordinary success? Gianluca believes that: “We all need to fly high. There is always time to come down to earth. This doesn’t mean being presumptuous, but our dreams can eventually come true.” And there is no better place for flying high than the City of Angels, the City of Dreams.
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