Behind the Voices: An Intimate Carpool Ride with Il Volo in Budapest

BUDAPEST — The global operatic pop sensation, Il Volo, recently brought their signature charm, humor, and powerhouse vocals to the streets of Budapest. In an exclusive installment of Gábor Garami’s Carpool DriveCamp, presented in collaboration with Blikk Hu and Csimborasszó Production, the Italian trio—Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto, and Gianluca Ginoble—sat down (and buckled up) for a candid conversation. The casual drive served as an exciting promotional prelude to their highly anticipated concert in the Hungarian capital scheduled for December 10.

From Teen Competitors to Global Icons

During the drive, the trio reflected on their unexpected origin story, reminding fans that their seamless harmony was originally the brainchild of a visionary television producer.

“We met on an Italian TV show when we were 15 years old,” one of the members shared. “We were single singers, and then the producer of this program decided to put our voices together. We didn’t know each other.”

That spontaneous decision sparked a phenomenon. Singing in the same genre, the three teenagers quickly bonded, eventually capturing the prestigious Sanremo Music Festival title and representing Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest with their massive, career-defining hit, “Grande Amore.”

Despite their meteoric rise to fame at such a young age, the trio credits their grounded personalities to their unwavering support systems. “We have very strong families and we have a great team behind us, so they just keep our feet on the ground,” they explained. This foundation allows them to remain completely authentic, rejecting the “fake” traps of modern celebrity culture.

Child Heroes, Alternate Realities, and Secret Talents

When asked about their childhood heroes, the group’s dynamic, playful banter immediately took center stage. Answers ranged from the cinematic to the musical, with Spider-Man, Batman, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Bublé all getting nods as major early influences.

The conversation took an intriguing turn when Garami asked what they would be doing in an alternate universe if singing had not worked out. Because they entered the music industry at ages 14 and 15, none of them had previous professional careers. However, their alternative dreams highlight their diverse creative passions:

• One member expressed a deep love for painting and photography, noting he would likely have pursued a career as an architect.

• Another mentioned staying in the creative realm as a piano or vocal teacher.

• The third playfully revealed a family tie to the culinary arts: “My mother was a pizzaiola [pizza chef], my sister owns a pizzeria… if I wouldn’t be a singer, I would be a pizzaiolo.”

Beyond their famous operatic vocals, the members are also accomplished multi-instrumentalists. Collectively, they possess self-taught skills across a variety of instruments, including the piano, drums, guitar, and bass.

Navigation, Group Dynamics, and Life on the Road

When Garami asked the inevitable question regarding who calls the shots in the group, the trio laughed off the idea of a traditional hierarchy. “There’s not a boss,” they joked, instead assigning mock royal titles: one jokingly designated himself the “Prince” (or “Princess”) of the group, while labeling another the “Chamberlain.”

The group also opened up about the realities and minor grievances of fame. They explicitly labeled questions regarding their net worth and personal finances as “ignorant” rather than just annoying. Furthermore, they touched upon the difficulties of maintaining romantic relationships amid a relentless global touring schedule. One member shared that he had recently gone through a breakup in January after a two-year relationship, admitting, “Sometimes it’s tough to keep a relationship just because we travel a lot, and sometimes it’s really hard to understand this kind of life.”

Their traveling lifestyle also brings bizarre fan encounters. When asked about the craziest thing a fan has ever done, they recalled an incident where a fan threw a brassiere onto the stage inscribed with an “honorary telephone number” and a note reading, “Call me whenever you want.”

Staying Connected

When they are not performing classical crossovers, their personal music tastes are surprisingly modern and diverse, ranging from hip-hop, rap, and R&B to mainstream pop. They emphasized the importance of staying open-minded to all genres to appreciate complex musical arrangements.

To maintain their massive international fanbase, Il Volo remains highly active on social media. They revealed that posting updates, photos, and videos is a mandatory part of their morning routine. However, they draw a strict line when it comes to privacy. “Private pictures? No, no, no. We just let them know what the band is doing.”

More importantly, their very first priority every morning is staying connected to their roots. “We wake up in the morning and call our family. We love our family and our hometown—we are very, very close to them.”

With their blend of humor, humility, and undeniable musical talent, Il Volo’s upcoming December performance promises to be a unforgettable highlight for Budapest’s music lovers.