Inside Il Volo’s Backstage Routine: The Eerie 60-Minute Silence Where the Trio Refuse to Speak or Look at Each Other Before Show star
For most bands and performing artists, the 60 minutes leading up to showtime are typically filled with noise: warm-up tracks, bustling crew members, and energetic team huddles. However, if you were to step inside the dressing room of the world-renowned Pop Opera trio Il Volo before a concert packed with tens of thousands of fans, you would be met with a starkly different atmosphere: an absolute, almost suffocating silence.
A “Sanctuary” of Silence Before the Vocal Storm
No partying, no idle banter, and surprisingly, no loud vocal warm-ups echoing through the hallway. Before showtime, the dressing room shared by Gianluca Ginoble, Ignazio Boschetto, and Piero Barone falls as silent as a sanctuary. The three artists—otherwise known for their vibrant, witty Italian personalities—completely avoid eye contact and refrain from speaking a single word.
Any brief communication that must take place is handled strictly through eye gestures, hand signals, or quick text messages. Noise-canceling headphones are used to completely isolate them from any ambient noise outside.
This is not a sign of internal conflict or feud. Instead, it is an extreme form of physical protection used in classical vocal arts: strict Vocal Rest.
The True Price of Breathless High Notes
To produce the massive, operatic vocals capable of filling entire stadiums without relying heavily on electronic enhancement, the trio’s vocal cords endure enormous physical strain. Even a few minutes of casual conversation right before a performance can cause micro-trauma or vocal fatigue, directly impacting their vibrato and their ability to hit sky-high notes effortlessly.
“The audience pays to hear us perform at our absolute best, not to hear a fatigued voice,” the group once shared. Saving every breath, maintaining optimal throat temperature, and bringing their minds into a meditative state is a non-negotiable rule they have strictly followed for over 15 years.
This dramatic contrast between 60 minutes of “dead silence” backstage and the explosive energy on stage is the hidden secret behind the Il Volo brand. The moment the backstage doors open and the spotlight hits, that compressed energy shatters the silence—delivering spine-tingling musical perfection to audiences worldwide.