Il Volo is way ahead of the learning curve

When Piero Barone, the youngest member of Il Volo, was born 20 years ago, Barbra Streisand already crossed the half-century mark.
But there was Barone, as well as Ignazio Boschetto and Gianluca Ginoble, his Il Volo mates, sharing a stage with the icon when she returned to Brooklyn last autumn during a rare tour.
Il Volo impressed with their massive sets of pipes after they were introduced by Streisand.
“To perform with Barbra Streisand, particularly in her hometown of Brooklyn, was something we’ll never forget,” Barone says during a telephone interview from Vancouver. “Every night we were out with her, I had goose bumps.
“It was an extraordinary experience. What I learned from her was to keep it humble since she has accomplished more than anyone and she is so humble. We’ll be humble, too.”
Il Volo, which will perform Thursday at the Tower Theater, has plenty to be proud of, but the handsome, charismatic trio refrains from tooting its collective horn.
“We’re still young and we’re still learning,” Barone says. “We’re getting there.”
None of the trio is old enough to purchase an alcoholic beverage, but still their voices sound so seasoned.
“We’ve worked on singing all of our lives,” he says. “It’s what we love to do. We’ve worked very hard at it.”
Il Volo is walking the same path which Andreas Bocelli traveled to superstardom. The act renders Italian classics and baroque power ballads.
The three young men made it the “American Idol” way. They competed separately on “Ti Lascio una Canzone,” the Italian version of “American Idol,” in 2009 and were discovered by producer Tony Renis, who put Il Volo together and helped the act ink a deal with Geffen Records.
Good-looking European guys singing arias? It’s working. Teenage girls, a desirable demographic, are swooning over the trio.
“It’s been wonderful,” Barone says. “We’re getting so much incredible attention. We keep building on what we’ve started.”
The act is out behind “Mas Que Amor,” its third album in three years, which is the formula “American Idol” follows: Strike while the iron is hot.
The latest album features Italian classics and a baroque cover of U2’s “Beautiful Day.”
“When the song was introduced to us, we said, ‘This is not our kind of music,’ ” Barone says. “But we were told to try singing it with our strong voices — and it works so well. We’re willing to try new things. We’re willing to do whatever it takes to connect in America.”
The act can still taste what it’s like playing arenas with Streisand.
“We’re playing theaters and amphitheaters now and that’s great,” Barone says. “But, yes, we dream of reaching as many people as possible. It was a great experience playing the big halls with Barbra Streisand.
“It’ll be interesting to see how things go for us. We’re so young and we have so much drive. Count on seeing a lot of us over the years.”
Il Volo appears Thursday at the Tower Theater, 69th and Ludlow streets, Upper Darby. Show time: 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $49, $69, $89 and $99. Information: 610-352-2887.

Source: phillyburbs