Gianluca Ginoble, Piero Barone and Ignazio Boschetto are used to people being surprised when they open their mouths.
“We were 15 years old. People would be like, ‘Is it possible that they sing like this?” Boschetto told TODAY, speaking from the offices at 30 Rock.
Together, the three 20-somethings comprise the group Il Volo, singing what they call “popera” — music on the border of pop and opera.
The trio formed after each competed separately on the Italian reality show “Ti Lascio una Canzone” in 2009, which saw young singers covering pop songs. Ginoble won, but creator of the show Roberto Cenci had the idea to put all three together in a group.
You could call them the Italian One Direction, which Ginoble conceded.
“It’s the same story — we didn’t know each other. But I found two friends,” Ginoble said.
Unlike One Direction and many other boy bands before them, Il Volo is still together. In the 10-plus years since forming, Il Volo won the Sanremo Music Festival and represented Italy at the Eurovision Song contest; released multiple albums; performed at award ceremonies, the Nobel Peace Prize Concert; sang alongside Barbra Streisand; and more.
“One thing I will remember forever is when we performed ‘Il Sole Mio’ at ‘American Idol’ in 2011. I remember high-fiving Steven Tyler while we were singing. That was one of the craziest moments,” Ginoble said.
They’ve also gone on multiple world tours since 2011, including a North American tour happening now pegged to their new album, “Il Volo Sings Morricone,” with a set list paying tribute to Italian composer Ennio Morricone.
The trio is still singing – but they say much has changed since their days as child stars. Back then, Ginoble said, they didn’t speak English, so it was difficult to communicate during interviews and with fans (they now speak English fluently, among other languages).
As self-professed “ambassadors of Bel canto,” they see it as their mission to make operatic music accessible, especially to people who don’t consider themselves fans.
“This has always been our first goal: To bring Bel canto to the younger generation. The reason they don’t listen to this kind of music is because they haven’t discovered it yet,” Barone said.
All three were exposed to opera for a young age by their families. “We grew up listening to Pavarotti,” Barone said, saying they began singing at a young age too. “I never had this awareness of being so good at singing. I just wanted to sing,” Borschetto said.
Now, their families support them in their jet-setting lives: “Thanks to them, we keep our feet on the ground and can face everything.”
Barone compared what Il Volo does to what the Three Tenors — an operatic singing group comprised of Plácido Domingo, José Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti — did before them in the ’80s and ’90s, by taking opera out of the theaters and to to the general public.
He said he sees Il Volo’s mission playing out every time he looks at an audience during one of their concerts and sees people from “nine to 95.”
But, Borschetto said, there’s a challenge in preserving classic music, and knowing — however much they innovate — there are “limits,” in that they must maintain their core sound. “But we’re three guys who like a challenge,” he said.
Amid the challenges of experiencing public scrutiny at a young age and staying true to their sound, all three cite their bond as what’s kept them grounded.
“We deeply know each other. If one does something wrong, the other stop him quickly,” Barone said.
“Our relation is so clear and so beautiful. You cannot describe our relationship as brothers or friends — it’s something unique. What I feel on stage, I cannot describe to you. The only person who can understand it is them.”
As they continue to grow older, Barone said their relationship to their music — and all its deep emotions — changes.
“When we were younger, we were singing about love how a teenager seal right love. Now, we sing the same song but with different feelings inside,” he said.
Girone had a different take. For him, the kid he was — the kid who won an Italian singing contest over a decade ago — is always present.
“When we are onstage, there is always that kid singing. Same emotion never changed. It is the way to live in an artistic way without changing yourself while you sing. You have to mature, of course and try to be a better person. But when you’re on stage, that kid is always on stage with you,” Ginoble said.
