by Cookie Curci

This young trio spread their wings and began to fly on a talent show titled Ti lascio una canzone, (You leave a song).  It's easy to see why they blew away their competition and dazzled Italian TV viewers with their rendition of the Neapolitan standard "O Sole Mio". They chose their name, Il Volo, meaning "flight" this was their way of telling the world they were about to take flight… up up and away to the top of the musical world.

The well-known talent manager Michele Torpedine (who has looked after the careers of Andrea Bocelli and Italian rock star Zucchero) and the renowned singer/producer Tony Renis – secured a worldwide recording contract for the trio with Universal Music Group which released Il Volo's debut album in Italy November 2010. The album is already certified platinum in Italy, and debuted at #10 in the US on the Billboard Top 200 chart. 

These three amazing young singers, whose names are, according to age, Piero Barone, Gianluca Ginoble, and Ignazio Boschetto have come to America to spread their wings and their songs. They are among the hottest most sought after singers in today's music world. They are here to make several TV appearances, among them the most popular of all, American Idol, which aired on May 19, 2011.

Il Volo has consented to take time from their whirlwind schedule in America to answer a few questions.

Cookie: Did you all come from different areas of Italy or did you grow up in the same town?
Ignazio: I was born in Bologna then 6 years ago my family and I moved to Marsala, Sicily where I live.

Gianluca: I live in Roseto degli Abruzzi in central Italy.

Piero: I live in Naro, a town close to Agrigento, Sicily.

Cookie: I know you three sing the classics with astonishing ease and perfection, from "Il Mondo", to Charlie Chaplin's "Smile." But you also sing songs written by Grammy winner Walter Afanasieff and compositions written by multi-platinum songwriter Diane Warren. What do you call this new sound and combinations of sounds?
All: Our music is POP LYRIC, which means that it is in the middle between POP music and a more classic way to sing, using the voice in a way closer to classic music but it is NOT opera!!!

Cookie: Do you someday hope to sing more serious music and follow in the footsteps of the great tenors such as Pavarotti?
Piero: We sing pop music but also we very much like the more classical opera.

Gianluca: We want to sing for the rest of our lives. It is our passion.

Ignazio: We want to sing everywhere from Madison Square Garden to The Metropolitan Opera.

Cookie: All artists have a passion that drives them; some call it a mission in life to use their music. Do you feel that same passion and does it inspire you to create, to sing to share your magnificent voices with the world?
Ignazio: What I think is that this is not a passion is just giving emotions through our music.

Piero: My passion is just music, and thanks to music I can express my feelings.

Gianluca: Also for me I can express my emotions only with my voice, sometimes this is the only way to being able to express particular emotions

Cookie: This question has nothing to do with music, but everything to do with food. Aside from music, we Italians love food. One of the questions I ask all my interviews is what is their favorite Italian dish and do they know how to cook it?
Ignazio: My favorite dish is Rosetta, a sort of Lasagna but with ham and mozzarella. This is an Italian hot dish and I know how to cook it!

Piero: Pasta carbonara which I cook usually on Sundays with my mother.

Gianluca: Gnocchi:  It is a kind of pasta, but I can't cook it, my mother does.

Cookie: To Gianluca, my family is also from Abruzzi and we love gnocchi which is really made from potatoes, eggs and flower. Like little dumplings, I agree, delicious!!

Cookie: Grazie tanto Il Volo (Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca) for taking time to answer my questions in this interview. I know your future is a bright and successful one. Is there anything you would like to say to your Italian American fans? Please say whatever you would like to share with us.
All: Each of us, together, want to say to the American fans – thank you and we love all of you!

Cookie: Grazie tanto Il Volo …buona fortuna a tutti!