What do “Somewhere” from West Side Story, “Ave Maria,” Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” and Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” have in common?
They’ve all been performed by classical crossover vocal group Il Divo, set to perform at 8:15 p.m. tonight in the Amphitheater.
Comprising tenors David Miller, Urs Bühle and Sébastien Izambard and baritone Steven LaBrie, the quartet will bring their signature sound to the Amp stage with an evening of songs celebrating their latest album, XX.
The group boasts a 20 year-long career filled with accolades. Il Divo released its debut self-titled album in 2004 which sold more than 5 million copies, earned a Platinum certification from RIAA and landed at No. 5 on the Billboard 200. The vocalists went on to release the albums Ancora in 2005, The Promise in 2008, Wicked Game in 2011, Amor & Pasion in 2015 and Timeless in 2018.
Il Divo lost founding member Carlos Marín after his death from COVID-19. LaBrie was brought on to tour with the group as a way to honor Marín’s legacy, and soon became an official member of the quartet.
Now, celebrating February’s release of XX, Il Divo takes the stage for a night of opera pop crossover.
In an interview excerpted on the groups website, Il Divo said XX “really has a sound to it.”
“It’s exciting to hear where we’re going,” Izambard said in that interview. “It’s Il Divo, but it’s the next chapter.”
Il Divo aims to bring operatic music to the mainstage, sharing it with audiences everywhere by combining classical sounds and pop music.
“(Il Divo) showed the world you could appreciate this music in the context of the radio and not just a three-and-a-half hour opera. In a way, we made it accessible to everyone,” Bühle said in the interview on Il Divo’s website.
There, the group explained that Il Divo’s music isn’t just for opera fans, but for everybody.
“Early on, we realized Il Divo isn’t just for an opera audience; Il Divo is for everybody,” said Miller. “We translate the classical voice into pop music.”
“We’re sharing as many moments of joy as we can on stage. It’s a gift when what we do connects with anybody,” Izambard had added. “For us, it’s not about receiving, but about giving and being of service to others. There’s nothing more powerful.”
