🎉 Happy 2026!! 🎉
The new year has just begun, but there’s an interview conducted with Il Volo that was published at the end of the year, which I told you I’d translate for you.
It was published in the weekly magazine SORRISI E CANZONI, and Il Volo’s photo was on the cover.
Il Volo Enchants Europe
We followed Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto, and Gianluca Ginoble in Prague on one of the stops on their sold-out tour, waiting to see them on Canale 5 with their Christmas concert.
His name is Piotr, and he’s the taxi driver taking me from Prague airport to the O2 Arena, the modern venue where, in a few hours, Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto, and Gianluca Ginoble will perform on one of the stops on their European tour. “‘Il Volo’? Of course I know them!” Piotr says during the ride. “My wife and daughter are fans, but I like their music, too. My favorite song is ‘Grande Amore’; here in the Czech Republic, we all love bel canto.” It was already clear what the concert evening had in store for me…
But let’s proceed in order. At 4:30 pm, the guys arrive at the arena. They’re cheerful and excited. Last night in Mannheim, near Stuttgart, the last German stop on this tour, they received a fantastic welcome. “This is our fourth time here in Prague, and the audience loves us so much,” explains Gianluca. And he asks, “Would you like a proper coffee?” He carefully selects the pod with the “strongest” blend and prepares the coffee. On the table in his dressing room are herbal teas of all kinds: green tea, almonds, fresh fruit, peanut butter, ginger, and honey. “Water, honey, lemon, and ginger are a panacea for the voice,” he explains.
Speaking of voices, Piero’s powerful warblings resonate in the backstage corridor as he warms up. An hour later, after rehearsals, we all gather in Piero’s dressing room for a chat. He eats rice cakes with banana slices and honey. Ignazio enjoys the more indulgent ones covered in dark chocolate. The atmosphere is relaxed. After all, the guys are used to tour life.
On average, how many days out of 365 days a year are you at home?
Piero: “The last number (laughs).”
Ignazio: “It depends. Sometimes we’ve only been home for two weeks total. But then you realize that to be productive, you have to stop every now and then, and that’s what we try to do.”
What do you miss about Italy when you’re abroad?
Piero: “Coffee. The only thing we ask for in the dressing room is an espresso machine. Before a concert, savoring the familiar taste of coffee makes us feel good.”
The fastest to pack?
Ignazio: “Me, without a doubt.”
Piero: “I tried asking Artificial Intelligence to make a packing list for this European tour. I entered the dates, and based on the weather forecast, it suggested what to bring.”
Did it work?
Piero: “Perfectly (laughs).”
Whose suitcase is the heaviest?
Gianluca: “Mine. This time it weighed 34 kilos, 20 of which were books, which are the first thing I pack. I put the medicine bag in right after, even though Piero is the ‘pharmacist’ of the group.”
Have you ever missed a flight on tour?
Piero: “Never. We’re always on time.”
You’ve been a trio for 16 years, literally sharing your lives. What was the happiest moment you’ve spent together?
Piero: “Three months ago, Ignazio became a father: he brought us immense joy.”
Ignazio, what song do you sing to your son Gabriele to put him to sleep?
“Before he was born, I wrote two songs for him; I sang them to him when he was still in the womb. Now, when he cries, he suddenly calms down at the first notes. It’s something that moves me so much.”
What’s a typical day like on tour?
Gianluca: “It depends on whether we have a flight to catch, whether we sing in the evening, but generally, Piero and I train in the morning. Then we read the papers, go sightseeing, have lunch together, and then we have rehearsals in the afternoon.”
It’s time for the guys to get ready for the concert, which starts at 8:00 PM. The 10,000 seats in the arena are all filled. Just before going on stage, Piero, Ignazio, and Gianluca shake hands and… off they go. They sing for two hours. The audience knows all the words. At the end of each song (there are 26 on the setlist), the ecstatic fans gather in front of the stage and throw bouquets of flowers and gifts: portraits, sweets, custom-designed T-shirts, loads of stuffed animals.
The audience showers you with gifts: who’s the most curious?
Piero: “The stars. They named some stars after us, it’s beautiful.”
During the show on stage, you move in a coordinated way. Do you have any sort of choreography?
Gianluca: “We were inspired by Katy Perry’s tour (laughs). Not really, but we have such a connection that a glance is enough.”
Piero: “We look at each other a lot during the performance.”
Ignazio: “We just look for symmetry. Nothing is rehearsed.”
On December 24th, your Christmas concert from Sofia, Bulgaria, will be broadcast on Canale 5. What is your fondest Christmas memory?
Piero: “In 2012, we sang at the tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center in New York.”
Gianluca: “When we sang at the Christmas concert in St. Peter’s Square.”
Ignazio: “This will be my best Christmas because I’ll be spending it with my son and my family… watching our concert on TV!”
Thanks to Gary from All Things Il Volo in this photo you can see 4 covers of Sorrisi e Canzoni, 2015 2019 2023 2025.
But the interviews don’t end here, now I propose a very nice video interview made for FORBES Italy, activate the subtitles with the translation.
And also, this short interview for Greek TV. (it’s in English)
CLICK HERE to view the Facebook reel
I told you that on Christmas Eve in Italy we’d be attending the INCANTO DI NATALE concert recorded in Bulgaria, but for three Saturdays (two before Christmas and one after) reruns of the three Mantua concerts were broadcast on TV, so we were able to see our three talented and beautiful guys many times.
Here’s a review from an Italian newspaper: LIBERO MAGAZINE.
There’s nothing you can do about it, put Il Volo under the tree on TV and the evening is over! Whether it’s a rerun or a first-time broadcast, the talent of these guys and the emotion they convey are always top-notch.
Christmas has arrived, a special time for our guys to spend with their families, and Michelle has given us a glimpse of the happiness of those moments through these beautiful photos.
Thank you, Michelle! ❤️💙❤️
The handsome Gabriele is very sweet and I dare say he is like Ignazio when he was little, what do you think? 💙
And then came the end of 2025 and the toasts to the new year.
CLICK HERE to view the Facebook reel
Il Volo bids us farewell with this beautiful recap video published by the Il Volo American Fan Group!
CLICK HERE to view the Facebook reel
And once again, Michelle gives us a glimpse of their beautiful family’s unity toasting the New Year!
Thank you again, Michelle!! 🥰
CLICK HERE to view the video
There are no words to describe all these events and these beautiful photos that warm our hearts as we share these beautiful moments of relaxation and family happiness with them. For Ignazio, and I’m sure it was the same for Gianluca and Piero.
Their batteries will surely be recharged to face the thousand commitments of the new year, and since they will often be away from home, they will have enjoyed every minute of this time spent with their families.
The new year has arrived, and I hope it has been a good start for everyone, but above all, may your health always sustain you, and I hope that peace does not remain just a cherished dream.
Happy Epiphany to everyone, and see you soon with a new interview: Daniela 🤗
Credit to owners of all photos and videos.
