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.”
