Il Volo to take flight in Pittsburgh

 Gianluca Ginoble couldn’t hold back his emotions when he first met Barbra Streisand.
“I was crying like a baby,” Ginoble said. “It was unforgettable. Barbra Streisand is a legend.”
Ginoble was more than just some lucky fan who happened to score a backstage meet-and-greet.
The Italian teenager is part of the pop-opera trio Il Volo, which were chosen to warm up audiences for Streisand on her autumn 2012 tour.
That assignment and other high-profile appearances in a three-year span have elevated Il Volo to the status of U.S. concert headliners.
On Wednesday, Ginoble, 18, and his fellow Il Volo members — Piero Barone, 20, and Ignazio Boschetto, 18 — will showcase their vocal talents as the main event at Heinz Hall.
Nikki Yanofsky, a 19-year-old jazz-pop singer and star in her native Canada, will open the show.
For most Pittsburgh area fans, it will be the first time seeing Il Volo in person.
“Though we’ve been to Pittsburgh,” said Ginoble, recalling the trio’s on-air appearance at WQED-TV (Channel 13) during a pledge break promotion. “We’re very happy and excited to be coming back to Pittsburgh. We really loved that city.”
Il Volo will perform songs from both its self-titled 2011 album that debuted in the Top-10 on the Billboard pop chart, and their followup “We Are Love,” which broadened the trio’s classical-music appeal with covers including U2’s “Beautiful Day,” and Aerosmith’s “Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (sung in Italian and in a slowed-down, classically-oriented fashion that many fans say is superior to the original.)
Ginoble said Il Volo and its management put a great deal of thought into choosing a wide-spanning selection of songs for that album and its “Special Edition” re-release that includes remakes of “Little Things” by boy band One Direction, “Surrender” by Elvis Presley and Ginoble’s personal favorite, “Maria” from “West Side Story.”
“I believe that’s the best song ever,” Ginoble said.
Il Volo’s ascension to platinum-selling headliners began in the now common fashion.
They were discovered on a televised singing contest.
Ginoble, a baritone and native of Italy’s Abruzzo region, won the 2009 competition in his native country with his flawless version of Andrea Bocelli’s “Il Mare Calmo Della Sera.”
At one point, the TV show, called “Ti Lascio Una Canzone,” teamed Ginoble with two other teenaged competitors — tenors Barone and Boschetto — who together sang a version of the Neapolitan standard “O Sole Mio” that dazzled TV viewers.
That paved the way for the three young singers to form a group. They went through a few name changes before committing to Il Volo, which translates in English to “The flight.”
That’s one way to describe the soaring operatic sounds of the group that’s established a U.S. fan base through appearances on TV news and talk shows like “The Tonight Show,” “The Today Show,” “Good Morning America,” “Ellen,” “Rachael Ray,” “Live with Michael & Kelly” and “Access Hollywood Live.”
Their national PBS special, “We Are Love,” helped gain credibility with opera and classical music fans, while a well-received 2011 guest appearance on “American Idol” brought in a new wave of youthful fans. Il Volo also scored some hipster points with a surprise stint on the series finale of HBO’s “Entourage.”
Il Volo appeared at WQED’s Studio C this past June 3, to publicize the station’s membership drive. Station spokesman George Hazimanolis recalls the young men impressing everyone with their energy.
“Fans came by to meet them and the group sang for them in-between pledge breaks,” Hazimanolis said. “If their upcoming concert is anything as exciting as their visit to WQED, their fans are in for a treat.”
Il Volo has adopted the slogan “Three Voices, One Soul,” though there are differences in their on- and off-stage personalities, said Ginoble, who identified Boschetto as the most bashful group member, and himself as the most outgoing.
For its tour, Il Volo will be backed by a band, and there will be special video and lighting effects, Ginoble said.
“It’s a very beautiful concert,” said Ginoble, who was raised in Italy’s Abruzzo region. “When we sing together, it’s a beautiful sound.”
A sound that more and more people will hear, as Il Volo’s post-tour plans include a Christmas album and related PBS special, plus a guest appearance on Streisand’s next PBS special airing around Thanksgiving.
As an ardent fan, Ginoble is heeding the advice Streisand gave him.
“She said you have to stay humble and work hard.”

Source: timesonline