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IL DIVO


BIO:
When the phenomenon that is Il Divo were honoured at the Classic Brits at the Royal Albert Hall earlier this year, their Artist of the Decade award attested to the unrivalled success the four have enjoyed since they first announced themselves to the world with their self-titled, multiplatinum debut album in 2004. Further No 1 albums followed ¬‘Ancora’, ‘Siempre’ and ‘The Promise’ ¬ and at every stage, Il Divo remained true to their artistic mission: to share with the world their passion for music, and their passionate belief in it as a unifying force. The record-breaking classical crossover quartet ¬the Swiss tenor Urs Buhler, baritone Carlos Marin from Spain, the French pop artist Sebastien Izambard and tenor David Miller from the USA first came together in 2003, the culmination of an exhaustive search by the music producer Simon Cowell to find four singers of distinctive individual gifts who could, as a group, create musical magic. In the six years that have followed their astonishing breakthrough, Il Divo have continued to grow as recording artists and performers, and their millions of fans the world over have joined them on that journey. With more than 25 million album sales, 150 gold and platinum discs, over 2 million concert tickets sold and the only crossover classical album ¬ ‘Ancora’ ¬ever to enter the US Billboard Top 200 at No 1, Il Divo could be forgiven for resting on their laurels. But that has never been their way. “We’re constantly trying to push things upwards,” Urs emphasises, “to a different level. Whenever we do something new, we want to do it better. And we’re still managing to do that, which fills me with great satisfaction.” The new album is, he says, “much more serious, more mature. Since we started, there have been so many people out there trying to do what we do. So we needed to change, or it’s no longer interesting for us, or for the audience.” Now, in keeping with Il Divo’s determination to embrace new artistic challenges, the journey is set to take another turn. Carlos, David, Sebastien and Urs have spent the past 18 months in the recording studio, working on an album ¬due for release in November ¬that will write another chapter in their extraordinary story. As Sebastien puts it, all four of them asked themselves before the sessions began, “How can we improve this? It was a case of trying to think of Il Divo as a new project. It’s been a big investment for all of us, in terms of time, and passion, and creativity.” Carlos describes the process of recording the new album as “unbelievable ¬you can really hear the evolution. And that connection between us, the way that the combination produces the magic, it’s stronger than ever.” Urs offers a hint of what we can expect, musically and conceptually, from the new record, which features a dramatic and unforgettable reworking of Chris Isaak’s 1989 hit ‘Wicked Game’ and a startling beautiful version of the Roy Orbison classic, ‘Crying.’ “We’ve recorded an adaptation of Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings,” he reveals, “with a new chorus. It sounds incredibly dramatic. The whole album is like that: we’ve devised material that is rooted in pieces of classical string and piano music: for instance, another new song is based on Beethoven’s Moonlight sonata. Harmonically, that is bound to be more interesting.” When they first emerged, Il Divo posed a problem for those who cannot feel content until they have found a pigeonhole in which to put something. How, they wondered, could Il Divo’s music be described? Was it opera? Pop-opera? Musical theatre? But attempting to pigeonhole Il Divo has always been a fool’s game ¬ and trying to do so misses the point of what they do, and the different gifts they each bring to the table, fundamentally. Urs’s background in both classical voice training and his time, as a teenager, in a heavy metal band (he is still a passionate guitarist to this day); Sebastien’s grounding in pop ¬prior to Il Divo, he had topped the French singles charts ¬and his continued dedication to and immersion in that genre, and, latterly, acting; Carlos’s very nearly lifelong passion for musical theatre and bel canto (he had made two albums before he was 10); David’s intensive training in opera, and his later work in both opera and musical theatre, including a starring role in Baz Luhrmann’s La Boheme on Broadway: even a superficial knowledge of their backgrounds tells you that Il Divo offer a rare degree of variety, experience, dedication and expertise. As David sees it, human beings respond to music on an emotional level ¬ and they’re more likely to be swept away by that music than get hung up about how to label it. On Il Divo’s new album, he says, the four singers “use classical techniques, certainly. And, more importantly, we definitely veer in a cinematic, dramatic direction, which is much more towards the operatic.” But that doesn’t make their music only opera, only pop, only anything, David adds. Instead, Il Divo are about “communication, emotion ¬ and passion”. In any case, laughs Urs, “Blurring the boundaries upsets the purists, but that’s a good thing to do.” All four are intensely excited about the new album, and raring to go. And all four never forget the love and loyalty their fans continue to show them. “That’s the biggest achievement,” says Sebastien, “bigger than any award: seeing all the fans out there. And they are still there, six years on.” For David, what sets Il Divo apart is “the range of colours that the four of our voices has”. It is this ¬the emotion, beauty and power those voices, those “colours”, communicate ¬and the fact that the group never stand still, which explains why Il Divo and their fans continue on the journey together, he believes. The new album will, Urs says, delight their fans as much as it has them. “We think it¹s the best thing we’ve ever done,” he beams proudly. They can’t wait to get back to work, then? The word seems to bother Carlos. “This isn’t work,” he smiles. “It’s a passion.”

Latest Articles


 Il Divo Concert to Premiere on PBS in February
Photo Il Divo Concert to Premiere on PBS in February
by Michael Major - February 01, 2024

IL DIVO XX, LIVE FROM TAIPEI is produced by Castle Entertainment, Terry Shand and Geoff Kempin and directed by Jeremy Azis and Eugene O'Connor. Delivering timeless pop classics and traditional standards, Il Divo raises the bar, reinforcing their status as performers and vocal powerhouses....

Il Divo Singer Carlos Marín Passes Away at 53 Photo Il Divo Singer Carlos Marín Passes Away at 53
by Michael Major - December 20, 2021

Il Divo singer Carlos Marín has passed away at the age of 53. María died on Sunday, December 19, after complications with COVID-19. Il Divo was formed by Simon Cowell in 2003 as a modern, Three Tenors-style quartet. The covered songs between opera and pop. María appeared with the group on Broadway d...

Classic Song Classic Song "For Once In My Life" Returns Home to LDM Publishing
by A.A. Cristi - August 12, 2021

LDM Publishing announced today that it has added an iconic song to its catalogue offerings, 'For Once in My Life,' written by famed Motown legend, Ron Miller (ronmillersongbook.com). Meanwhile, the song topped the Billboard Classical Crossover chart with Il Divo's new release, debuting in the #1 pos...

Kitt Wakeley Releases New Orchestral Rock Single 'Sinners and Saints' April 16 Photo Kitt Wakeley Releases New Orchestral Rock Single 'Sinners and Saints' April 16
by Sarah Jae Leiber - April 13, 2021

Boasting a cinematic hybrid of orchestral music, rock, and EDM, featuring stunning compositions, heavy guitar riffs, and thundering drums, the album Symphony of Sinners and Saints will be released on May 21 by Studio Seven Media. ...

Ricky Comeaux Releases Final Single Of The Year With 'Tell Me On A Sunday' Photo Ricky Comeaux Releases Final Single Of The Year With 'Tell Me On A Sunday'
by Chloe Rabinowitz - November 20, 2020

Ricky Comeaux continues his nod to classic Broadway in the single 'Tell Me On A Sunday' from If I Ruled the World, Ricky's solo debut album showcasing his vocal range and innate ability to interpret classic songs with a unique perspective....

Singer Ricky Comeaux Releases New Broadway-Style Single, Theme from KISS OF THE SPIDE Photo Singer Ricky Comeaux Releases New Broadway-Style Single, Theme from KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN
by A.A. Cristi - October 08, 2020

Ricky Comeaux gives another nod to classic Broadway in the new single 'Kiss of the Spiderwoman' from If I Ruled the World, Ricky's solo debut album showcasing his vocal range and innate ability to interpret classic songs with a unique perspective. ...

Ricky Comeaux Is Tilting Windmills With New Single 'I, Don Quixote' Photo Ricky Comeaux Is Tilting Windmills With New Single 'I, Don Quixote'
by A.A. Cristi - August 05, 2020

From the classic broadway musical 'Man of La Mancha,' 'I, Don Quixote' is the second single from If I Ruled the World, Ricky Comeaux's solo debut album showcasing Comeaux's vocal range and innate ability to interpret classic songs with a unique perspective. ...

Singer Ricky Comeaux Releases Single Off Debut Album, Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' Photo Singer Ricky Comeaux Releases Single Off Debut Album, Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah'
by Chloe Rabinowitz - June 29, 2020

The first single, Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah,' from If I Ruled the World, Ricky Comeaux's solo debut album leads the way in showcasing Comeaux's vocal range and innate ability to interpret classic songs with a unique perspective....

1989 Recording of 'Big House' to Be Released As Never-Before-Heard Track From World G Photo 1989 Recording of 'Big House' to Be Released As Never-Before-Heard Track From World Goes Round
by Kaitlin Milligan - May 13, 2020

WORLD GOES ROUND, a supergroup which formed in the late 80s but whose recordings were never released, will be releasing a never-before-heard track titled 'Big House' on Viper Records on May 29....

IL DIVO – TIMELESS LIVE IN JAPAN to be Released on October 11 Photo IL DIVO – TIMELESS LIVE IN JAPAN to be Released on October 11
by TV Scoop - September 16, 2019

IL DIVO - TIMELESS LIVE IN JAPAN celebrates the ground-breaking classical crossover group's 15th Anniversary in a magical show, live from Tokyo's Budokan Stadium, released on October 11th 2019 on DVD, HD Blu-ray and digital....

Il Divo Announces 'A Holiday Song Celebration' Tour Photo Il Divo Announces 'A Holiday Song Celebration' Tour
by Kaitlin Milligan - July 29, 2019

Today Il Divo announced their newest tour, A Holiday Song Celebration, will visit intimate North American venues this fall.The quartet is set to perform a distinct holiday spectacular unlike anything their fans have seen before.  Kicking off November 17 in Boston, the unique outing will stop in citi...

Italian Pop/classical Tenor Jonathan Cilia Faro Releases New Album Photo Italian Pop/classical Tenor Jonathan Cilia Faro Releases New Album
by Julie Musbach - April 11, 2019

Golden sound, brilliant intensity, sheer romance - the thrill of the Italian tenor voice is back on From Now On, the ninth album of tenor Jonathan Cilia Faro, to be distributed by BFD / Sony Orchard on April 26....

Il Divo Announces New North American Dates for the 'Timeless' Tour Photo Il Divo Announces New North American Dates for the 'Timeless' Tour
by Kaitlin Milligan - November 26, 2018

Following an incredible sold-out run across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and Mexico this summer and a current fall tour in the U.S. and Canada, Il Divo announced they will return to North America in 2019 for an all new leg of their Timeless Tour. Produced by Live Nation, the second leg of the tou...












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