For any young artist, sharing the stage with world music icons is both a supreme honor and an immense pressure. For Il Volo, since they were just 16 and 17 years old, they enjoyed a rare historical opportunity to walk alongside global music giants—from Opera legend Plácido Domingo and Pop icon Barbra Streisand to tenor star Andrea Bocelli.
A Historic Invitation from Barbra Streisand
One of the most memorable milestones in Il Volo’s career occurred in 2012, when legendary diva Barbra Streisand personally invited the three Italian singers to be special guests on her North American tour. Looking back at performing before tens of thousands of fans alongside a multi-Grammy and Oscar winner, all three admitted it was an “overwhelming, breathtaking experience”:
“We were just kids from small Italian villages back then. Standing on stage next to Barbra Streisand, our hands were shaking so hard we could barely hold the microphones. But she took our hands, smiled, and said, ‘Sing just like you do every day.’ The warmth of a legend gave us the strength we needed.”
A Lesson in Humility from Plácido Domingo and Andrea Bocelli
Moving beyond mainstream music, Il Volo also earned recognition and guidance from Opera masters themselves. They have performed multiple times with Plácido Domingo—one of the legendary “Three Tenors”—and visually impaired icon Andrea Bocelli. The members shared that what amazed them most when working with figures of such stature was not just their gifted voices, but their absolute patience and professionalism. Plácido Domingo didn’t just sing with them; he spent hours in the studio guiding the three young men through every detail of operatic phrasing and breath control.
“They Taught Us to Keep Our Feet on the Ground”
Sharing the stage with iconic names at a very young age could easily lead artists to develop illusions of grandeur. However, Il Volo affirms that these historic encounters were precisely the lessons that helped them stay humble throughout their 15-year career: “When you witness legends who have sold hundreds of millions of records still arriving at the studio on time and bowing to thank every musician in the orchestra, you realize that true greatness always goes hand in hand with humility,” Il Volo shared.
These extraordinary collaborations served not only as a “golden stamp” of approval for Il Volo’s talent, but also as invaluable emotional baggage, empowering the three Italian singers to confidently push Pop Opera further onto the global music map.