This is the written interview Carlos tweeted at Focus.com
Submitted by Carys Jones on Sun, 11/25/2012 - 12:23
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Il DivoSébastien Izambard, Carlos Marín, David Miller and Urs Bühler are Il Divo.

They are four incredibly talented vocalists with charismatic personalities and classic good looks. Between them, they have broken numerous records and they have sold over 25 million records. The public’s love affair with them, shows no sign of stopping.

Il Divo took some time out of their busy schedule to catch up with us ahead of the release of their Greatest Hits album, which is out on Monday.

Lovely to meet you all! How are you doing today?

D: Yes, we’re all good, thanks!

Have you got a busy day of interviews ahead, to promote your latest album?

D: We have half a day of interviews. We’re only seeing the important and special people today!

Ha-ha! So your Greatest Hits album will be released on Monday, are you excited about that?

S: Oh, I thought it was out today, no really, it’s out Monday? OK, I don’t even know what day it is! As you can see, it’s going to be a comedy sketch this morning! Ha-ha.

D: We’re excited!

S: It’s a selection of our best songs, so it’s a Greatest Hits album. It was obvious from when we toured with the world which songs were really working and we kind of made a list. There are also four new tracks on the album. I think there are eighteen songs on the Greatest Hits. We have My Heart Will Go On, from the Titanic and I Will Always Love You, from The Bodyguard etc on there. It’s a nice thing to do for the fans and also it’s good for people who might not have heard of Il Divo.

What are your favourite songs on the album?

C: I Can’t Help Falling in Love, by Elvis Presley.

D: Favourite songs? I’ll be honest, I really like the new songs, because the body of work that we’ve done to this point have really stood the test of time you know, but I’m very much interested in what comes next and what’s fresh and so we added these songs into the Greatest Hits. These are songs that we’ve been paying attention to the fans over the years you know, they say you should do this song etc and these songs are kind of an acknowledgement of what they have been saying to us and these songs fit in perfectly. They could really have fitted in on any of our other albums, but at the same time, they’re new and they’re fresh.

How much input do you get into what goes onto the album, is there much choice, do you have a big say in the songs that end up on there?

C: For example in the Greatest Hits, we only put four new tracks on the album, such as: I Will Always Love You. That was one that we proposed to go on there. Sometimes, if we propose something and there’s a disagreement, we go off to a studio and record it and show it how it works back and so that’s how we do it.

Do you feel any pressure with the release of each album, to sell the records, or are you more relaxed, knowing that you have a large and loyal fan-base?

U: It is a bit different I think, because it’s a Greatest Hits album. I think a Greatest Hits album is bought a bit differently from other albums, it’s either the hardcore fans, who want to buy everything of the group, or it’s more about people who haven’t previously bought an album, but have heard who we are and think I’ve heard a lot about them for the past few years and I’d like to get something and the Greatest Hits is where you get the essence of a group, even though it’s been over nine years. I mean, that’s the way that I buy albums as well, there are groups who I love their music and other groups which I kind of like and buy their album and have been really taken by it, that I go out to discover their other albums too, or buy future albums. I think it’s a good step into a band that way. It’s also interesting too, as Greatest Hits albums are popular in certain countries, but other countries don’t buy Greatest Hits albums. We’ve got certain expectations and we hope that people will like the new songs that we’ve recorded, but you can’t really compare it to what we’ve done before.

What happens after an album is released, do you wait until the end of the week to see how it’s done and celebrate if it sells well?

U: Ha-ha, well I think we normally find out by 2:00pm on a Monday that it’s released as to how well it’s gone.

D: Typically, a Greatest Hits album is kind of a slow burner. It’s not one of those things that really, necessarily really goes straight to number one, because it is mainly material that we’ve already done and for most people who know our body of work, it’s out there, they’ve heard it before and they’ve seen our performances on previous years of being on TV shows, so it’s not quite the same clamber to get it as soon as it is released. But that being said, we have been told that in Japan, (it was released a week earlier there), on the first day of sales, it’s already gone to number one. That was very exciting.

That's fantastic news. You’re going on tour with Katherine Jenkins next year around the UK and Europe, how do you feel about that? Excited?

All: Yeah!

Have you met Katherine Jenkins before, do you know her well?

S: We’ve met her a few times on the same TV shows, or we’ve been on the same performances that she’s been on. So we came across each other, but never really had the chance to get to know each other and actually when we decided it would be a good idea to go together on tour for the Greatest Hits album in Europe with her, we realised that it would be good to do something a little bit different as well. Having a guest, someone you can share the stage with, especially after the experience we had with Barbra Streisand and that we’ve seen that it’s really something that works well. Sharing the stage with her and having a female voice is a great thing to have and it makes it very entertaining for us and for our audience.

So you haven’t picked up tips whilst you’ve been around these divas that we read about? Do you now feel the need to go around and order some scented candles etc?

(They all burst out laughing, very loudly!)

D: Do we look like the scented candles sort? (They all continue laughing).

Ha-ha! Well, you never know, they can make a room smell nice!

C: The good thing with us, is that we are really normal guys. We don’t go around demanding too many crazy things in our dressing room. For example, I always ask for diet coke, because that’s the only thing I drink, I don’t drink alcohol and we have bottles of water and we have some bananas and red bull, fruits etc.

How do the crowds differ from each place/country that you perform in? Do you notice that if you go to your home countries that the fans are even more passionate?

D: Oh yeah, I think the biggest difference when we go from country to country is seeing how the demographic of the audience changes. When we’re in the UK, there’s a generalised female crowd who come to see us. But when we go over to Korea, it’s a much younger audience that comes to see the show and when we go to certain other countries it’s more family orientated environment. For example, in the US we see people bringing their boyfriend or their husbands, or vice-cersa, the husbands taking their lady out to a concert and you see a lot of children showing up as well. I think over the years we start to see these kids who have grown up with our songs and know all the lyrics and I find it very enjoyable to go from place to place and see how each culture is vastly different. I mean the difference between the Japanese culture and the UK is like chalk and cheese, it’s so very different, but they embrace it in their own way and show their appreciation in a difference way, but we’ve been embraced by almost every country that we’ve been to and it’s such a huge gift.

What do you think has been the secret of your success, in comparison to bands of a similar ilk to yourselves?

U: If you look at us, we are four different guys from different cultural and musical backgrounds and we are four very different personalities, we’ve got four different voices and actually this makes for a very rich mix and we are all very, very passionate about the music that we’re making. We’ve all made music for all our lives, that’s what we live for and we try to get all this together in one song, in one piece of music. Especially in the beginning, there wasn’t a lot of understanding there, which makes the whole thing more interesting, because you actually have so much influences and so much richness and the way in which you can take the best from here and from there and I think that just makes for something which is totally different and there’s nothing else like it out there. All the other bands who are four guys in suits who sing exactly the same repertoire and pride themselves that they have known each other since childhood, I don’t think it’s an advantage in that case, it’s actually on the contrary.

D: Whilst that all exists, I also think that the four of us are always committed to doing what’s best for the song, what’s best for the music and not what’s necessarily best for our egos and I think that common ground and really putting our hearts into that arena just elevates the tracks.

Are there any people around at the moment who you think it would be interesting to collaborate with, or anyone that we wouldn’t expect to see or hear you sing with?

S: There are many people out there that would be really good to perform with, Bjork for instance would be a good idea, Eminem, the Foo Fighters, I don’t know – there are so many. Any type of extreme bands would actually be good to perform with

Do you think you could go on a rock and roll tour with them?

S: Why not! I think it would be a really good mix to work with someone who is totally the opposite of what we’re doing, maybe Beyonce.

C: How about Shakira, or maybe AC/DC? (He says, scanning the walls of the Sony office, which are adorned with artists who have gold discs up on the walls, and everyone laughs)

D: Pink, Pink would be really good!

You have travelled and performed all around the world with Il Divo. What has been the favourite place that you have visited and why?

C: I would say, for myself – Latin America and other Spanish countries, but I would also say Japan. I just love Japan, it’s somewhere special for me, I don’t know what it is, maybe the respect that they have for us and it keeps growing more and more, it’s unbelievable. Also for me, the UK is special, because we were born here as a group.

Does Britain feel like home to you now?

C: Yeah, it’s home!

Did you find it a bit strange at first, when you initially moved over here, did living in Britain take some getting used to?

S: It’s totally different. Even though it’s only across the Channel, there are so many different accents of English here in the UK. This morning we were on the Lorraine show and I remember eight years ago, she asked me a question and I was like what, what? (Laughs). I couldn’t understand a word and nowadays, I can only understand half of it, but it’s a lot better. (Laughs). I remember watching Little Britain on the TV and I totally got it and it all made sense. It takes a while I think, to get into the humour etc. I love England though, I’ve been living here for nine years.

C: The weather, the weather is fantastic. That has changed a lot in nine years. It’s sunnier, I mean look today, it’s a beautiful sunny day. (Laughs).

A lot of people that come over to Britain sometimes say that they have found the British to be a bit eccentric and quirky, have you found that?

C: No, I don’t think so really.

D: I think that we’ve been lucky enough to have travelled to so many countries over the years and we’ve seen so many different kinds of eccentricities that they no longer seem like eccentricities anymore! They seem like that is what happens here, that’s what happens there, in that country. I don’t think we’re caught off guard so much anymore!

You’ll be busy plugging you new album over the next month or so, have you got much time off over Christmas?

U: Well, Christmas is actually the first time that we’ve had any time off since last January We get just about a month.

What does 2013 have in store for Il Divo?

D: Well, you know that we’re not going to make it to 2013. The world ends on the 31st of December 2012, which is the end of the Mayan calendar – it’s all over.

(Everyone laughs-out-loud)

S: The Greatest Hits tour will be in March/April will take a bit of time and we’ve got a lot of plans, but it’s hard to reveal at this point, until we put them in place. Right now, we’re just working on putting things together and seeing how things plan out.

D: We are looking at an album at the end of 2013 though, that’s our intention.

With Eminem and Foo Fighters on there?

(All laugh).

S: That would be great.

C: We can even have you on there if you want, you can be on the album!

Well, as it happens, I do sing in a ladies choir, who are based in London and we’re called Cor Merched Cymry Llundain!

All: Ahh, you sing!

C: Well, there you go. You never know, we could do that!

Il Divo's new album 'The Greatest Hits' is released on Monday 26th November 2012.

Il Divo Lorraine ITV1 22-11-2012

Il Divo - The Classical Fab Four Go From Strength To Strength

"There are so many things to do in London, and it’s the best city in the world. It’s just the weather that’s sometimes difficult!" - Sebastien Izambard

After working solidly for the last 10 months you'd think the boys from Il Divo would take some time off. Not the case! London Calling's Tom Hunter got the chance to catch up with Sebastien Izambard on a rare day off. He told us all about the greatest hits album, the upcoming tour and getting to work with Katherine Jenkins...

London Calling: So you’ve got a new tour planned for the coming months, haven’t you?

Sebastien Izambard: Yeah, apart from promoting the greatest hits album as well, but the tour is the next exciting step. We’ve worked for the last 10 months and been around the world so we thought that the greatest hits could be exposed to various countries and we thought that it would also be nice to change a bit of the formula by inviting Katherine Jenkins to perform with us - something a bit sexy! She’s very nice, beautiful and sings very well.

LC: Are you trying to tell us that the four of you aren’t sexy enough?

Seb: No I’m not saying that, but we definitely don’t have a woman’s voice so we thought it would be nice to have a few duets with her, just to do something different. People always do that with their tours, it’s nice to mix. We did that with Barbra Streisand and it worked so well. We shared the stage with her and sang our songs and sang some duets and it was a great thing, so we thought it would be nice to do it again.

LC: That sounds really good. What can fans expect from the new tour then? Have you worked on the classics and done some good stuff with Katherine too?

Seb: Well we haven’t yet, because she’s about to promote her album as well, so we have to catch up at some point, sit down and just figure out what songs we’re going to do. We haven’t really talked about it but we just know that our voices are going to work perfectly. We did a TV special for ITV together so we’ve already sung two songs together and that actually went very well.

LC: You’ve just mentioned that you’ve done this massive 10 months travelling all over the place and you’ve obviously got a huge fan base. We’ve read comments on your Facebook page from fans and there’s lots of hearts and love there! Are your fans different in different parts of the world?

Seb: Oh yes, absolutely. In terms of culture if you go from the UK to South America to America it’s different of course and that’s what we like; it gives us such diversity. We have tremendous, huge fun around the world and our fans are so respectful, they’re so loyal to us. Japanese people would travel the world to come and see you, it’s amazing, and we always have to pinch ourselves to realise that we’re so lucky and everything is going so well.

LC: Now we have to ask, with such a fantastic fan base like that are they mainly friendly or are there a few strange fans out there in the world?

Seb: Well you always have an awkward one, even in your families, but I’d have to say that 95 per cent of our fans are very respectful of our lives and it’s how you set it up as well. I’ve got three children and the ladies know that they’re yours and they’ve always been so respectful of Renee, my wife and my children. There’s never been a problem, we set a boundary from day one and they love it. They send presents to Renee and my kids, it’s fantastic. I think we’re the luckiest men in the world; we have a lot of success and a huge fan base.

LC: Looking at the tour coming up, it’s obviously going to be a lot of work. Do you guys have any tips, techniques or tricks that you use to keep your performances fresh every night?

Seb: Yeah, we just go out thinking that it’s the last concert we’re ever going to do. We get a lot of rest, drink a lot of water, and drink wine before or after, ha ha! Before the gig I have a lot of water and off I go. I try not to get too stressed, because the stress can take away your ability to just enjoy the gig. I think it’s really important to give 100 per cent of yourself in terms of the concert because it could be your last, you never know.

LC: You’ve got some really big venues, places like the O2 in London, where you finish the tour, so how do you scale up for those really big performances over the more intimate shows?

Seb: Well it’s quite funny, because for me it’s actually easier to play in a big venue rather than a smaller venue. When we play at the Coliseum or other compact places it’s much harder because people are closer to you. In a big arena it’s not as personal as that and somehow you have a bit less pressure. But for me it’s really about making sure that wherever you are you make sure that people have a wonderful time. I try to avoid thinking about these sorts of things too much. The O2 is huge - it’s big, but for me it’s a little bit less scary in some way.

LC: Are there any special things you like to do when you’re not on the clock and performing in front of loads of people?

Seb: I’d be spending a lot of time with my kids, I take my little one who’s one-and-a-half years old to a class where he dances with other kids, I take my kids to school, so I spend a lot of time with my children, that’s important. We go to the park, Hyde Park, I like going out for lunch, there are so many things to do in London, and it’s the best city in the world. It’s just the weather that’s sometimes difficult! But I think that overall it’s a wonderful city. It’s great because you can go anywhere from London and enjoy all the different places in Europe. It’s so accessible and I’m not far from Heathrow - it’s a great city.

LC: What about some of the galleries and museums, do you get a chance to take the kids to see any culture?

Seb: Yeah, I’ve taken them to the museum that’s not far from the French embassy, because there’s children’s stuff there. We like taking them to arts and crafts things as well, but we haven’t done so much recently because I think they would trash it completely! One is four-and-a-half years old, so he’s not concentrated in that yet, but they love seeing dinosaurs and stuff. We try as much as we can, but it’s getting there.

LC: You obviously have your own musical style when you’re performing, but what do like in your personal life? Are there any particular genres or guilty pleasures that you relax to or listen to when there’s no-one else in the house?

Seb: I like pop rock - that’s what I listen to. My background is from the pop side - I listen to Coldplay, I’ve got the latest Muse album, and I think Muse are an amazing band. I listen to a band called Hurts; I listen to lots of music, anything from bossa nova to reggae, South American music. I just love music in general.

LC: So backstage in the dressing room you’re basically rocking out to Muse!

Seb: I drive the guys insane because I’m constantly listening to music. They’re like “oh my god, don’t you ever shut up!” and I’m always singing all the time, but I love it.

LC: You’ve obviously got a lot on, but what are your epic plans for the future?

Seb: Well the big, big step now is preparing the next record for next year and making sure that we’ve got something exceptional. We’ve just released the greatest hits and that’s a mark of a turn in our career and now we want to do something else. So that’s obviously something that’s really important to us and it’s a bit scary in a sense because we are going to have to surprise people with something else. But that’s a big, big step. So it’s how we’re going to make that step and how people will perceive it and if they’re going to like it.

LC: How many tuxedos do you guys get through in a year? You must have a high turnover!

Seb: Well we toured for 10 months and I think we only had one, then a spare one, so that’s two. I think it was probably three or four in total. There aren’t that many tuxedos, but when you do a promo there are a lot of them, but generally it’s not actually as bad as you may think.

LC: With that whole image it would be fantastic if you guys could do the theme for the next Bond movie or something. Have you ever thought about that kind of stuff?

Seb: Yeah, absolutely, especially when I heard Adele singing it, I think it would be great. It would be fantastic to be able to do that, a privilege, a dream actually.

For more information and tickets to the tour and how to buy the Greatest Hits album go to http://www.ildivo.com/uk/home

Read more at http://londoncalling.com/features/il-divo-the-classical-fab-four-go-from-strength-to-strength#jQ0KvMTsJshfIxbg.99 

Get ready for A chat with David Miller :

 

 

Il Divo, in common with many of Simon Cowell’s creations, appear to be adored and disliked in equal measure. They are one of the biggest-selling acts (they can count over 26 million albums sold, over 50 number ones and four world tours, the latest of which includes a stop in Dubai on Friday). And yet, when the media deigns to review their albums (not many did) the common refrain is that they are pretty, polished and yet lacking in soul.

You might describe their blend of classical pieces you might play at a wedding and tried-and true pop classics as middle-of-the-road. If so, you’d be bang on, says the band’s tallest member, American tenor David Miller,

“We can’t really step too far outside the zone, for two reasons,” Miller said over the phone from London recently. “One, we don’t want to alienate the public. Two, it’s very difficult to find tracks that accommodate the four of our voices, because the four of our voices do very different things, they have different qualities and different ranges. We need, for lack of a better term, middle-of-the-road songs.”

Il Divo are four multinational male singers — Miller, Frenchman Sebastian Izambard, Swiss Urs Buhler and Spaniard Carlos Marin — brought together in 2003 by Cowell, the man responsible for X Factor, One Direction and Cheryl Cole and the talented quartet are as physically attractive as they are technically accomplished.

Il DivoDescribing how the band arrive at their choice of songs, which on their latest album include Chris Issak’s Wicked Game, Miller says the band themselves listen out for appropriate songs, and also take the input of their creator. “[It’s] Unchained Melody, My Way, and Simon’s 10 favourite songs. Forgive me for saying so, he’s got a middle-of-the-road mentality — which is what works. He’s even said it before: ‘I don’t really know that much about the voice, I just know what I like,’ and that pretty much describes 90 per cent of the population. So if I’m average Joe Shmo and I like it, the people are probably going to like it and buy it too.”

But Miller adds that the Il Divo treatment can do wonders for a song. “At the same time it works for us: that middle-of-the-road piece allows us, with our dynamic ranges, to take it to a place it’s never been to before.”

The Dubai leg of the Wicked Games tour, at the World Trade Centre on Friday, will see a move away from the pop-centric style that characterised the band’s earlier performances, with the addition of a full orchestra and video screens.

“This year we have veered away from our previous format where we tried to straddle pop and classical with a pop band on one side of the stage and a few strings on the other side,” explained Miller.

“There will be an orchestra on stage with us — 35 players, full brass, full woodwind, timpani, every section is there. This time with the full orchestra soundscape, it will be much better. I was skeptical at first. But we are not taking the pop bass or lead guitar out; those will be canned. We have screens that carry video content that we have set as a background to create the mood. Bryan Burke from Cirque De Soleil has created a very artistic, beautiful video to complement the songs we sing. It’s two hours well spent.”

You’ve been on a long tour. How are you and your voice coping?

It’s been fantastic, actually. It has been a gruelling schedule, but that’s par for the course, you have to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and get on with it. The audiences have been amazing around the world. We usually do five or six concerts a week, and it’s hefty. It’s kind of like being an athlete. In terms of taking care of your voice, sleep is no 1, hydration is no 2. Trying to catch up with jet lag is a pain in the butt, but we’re not hopping between continents too much.

How has the reception to your latest album, Wicked Game, been on the tour?

It’s mixed, really. I think that these are some of our best tracks that we’ve ever recorded and vocally they suit us very well. it’s where the evolution of Il Divo has gone, but people are not that familiar with them. We do a couple of new tracks — Dove l’Amore, which is based on Samuel Barber’s Adagio For Strings, and Senza Parole, which has a light motif of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. The people like them, but they are not familiar with them. So they are not quite as enthusiastic in terms of “Oh yeah, that song, I love when they do that song,” but there’s still a strong reaction. It’s just a question of time for people to have lived with Wicked Game long enough to where these tracks become part of their mental playlist.

You said Il Divo has evolved with this new album. How?

Our voices have been growing as normal, and especially through such a vigorous performance schedule over the last decade, this has been the final maturation cycle of all of our voices. We’ve been really going at it like athletes, so it’s created a great deal of strength and stamina, and the qualities of our voices have gotten richer and deeper over time. That, paired with all of our performance experience, before Il Divo and during il Divo, [means] we are just a whole lot more seasoned, as people, as performers, as musicians. When we went into the studio, we said we can’t just do what we did last time, we are different people, we’re way different people than we were on the first album, so we have to step it up. The idea was to bring it more towards a cinematic feel, a more epic soundscape to support what we do with our voices. As far as the future goes, I am not entirely sure. I mean where do you go from here? Of course, we’ve said that every single album, and somehow, it always works out.

Describe the album making process:

We’re always on the lookout for new material and we don’t want ot repeat ourselves, but we don’t want to step away from what we’ve done and alienate our public. We’re not going to pull a Sting, where he all of a sudden put out a lute album. But he’s Sting and he can get away from that. We can’t really step too far outside the zone.

Do you ever feel creatively constrained?

Not really. As far as my career prior to Il Divo is concerned [Miller was an accomplished opera singer], I’m just an interpreter — I have my classical voice and all my training go out and interpret Mozart and Verdi and all these very codified and standardised things that have been around for centuries. This is a very different system, getting to choose which songs I sing — in an opera, you sing what’s on the page. I like being included in the production of things. I talk to the producers, and I whisper in their ear and say, here’s some things we haven’t done. Sometimes it filters in and sometimes it doesn’t.

Would you ever like to return to opera?

It’s not really a question of returning to opera, I’ve kind of grown out of the confines of “this kind of performer or that kind of performer”. I have the abilities and the experience to really sing whatever I want. I do have a desire to continue singing opera, it’s my first love.

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The tenor’s tale Adam Zacharias / 26 September 2012 Urs Bühler from classical crossover behemoths Il Divo tells us about battling a volcano and charming Chris Isaak’s mum SPEAKING SHORTLY BEFORE Il Divo’s first ever concert in Zagreb, Urs Bühler recalls the odd story behind the group’s rendition of Wicked Game, the title track to their 2011 album. Having been presented with a lush string arrangement to Chris Isaak’s signature song, the four members who comprise the world’s foremost classical crossover act were united in excitement. However, this initial elation was swiftly deflated by a procession of administrative niggles – beginning with the fact that Simon Cowell, the group’s creator and label head, wanted to nix the idea from the start. “Simon didn’t get it at all,” says Urs, who hails from Switzerland but lives in London. “He was like, ‘What do you want to do with this?’ Then we approached Chris Isaak’s management team and said we wanted to record the song in Italian, and they refused.” With the idea dead in the water, Il Divo found salvation from an unlikely source – Isaak’s elderly mother Dorothy, an eccentric influence who once claimed she was singing Elvis’ Blue Suede Shoes when she gave birth to her rocker son. “Apparently Dorothy, who is Italian, convinced him to let us record the song, under the condition we do it in Italian,” says the tenor in his cheerily languid tone. “So we put a little thank you on the album to her, because she made it possible.” Making the band Il Divo formed almost nine years ago, after Simon Cowell decided to tap the growing market for pop music with an operatic sheen. An exhaustive worldwide search finally yielded the discovery of Urs, fellow tenor David Miller from California, baritone Carlos Marín from Madrid and Parisian pop star Sébastien Izambard – the line-up which remains in place today. Upon its 2004 release, Il Divo’s self-titled and multi-lingual debut record proved an immediate global phenomenon, shifting close to five million units. Meanwhile the band themselves – who were all in their early to mid-30s at the time – stirred boy band levels of adoration among their slightly older female fanbase, thanks to their pin-up looks and mellifluous voices. Eight years later, the group have released five more studio albums and sold 26 million records – meaning that life for Urs and his bandmates remains as hectic as ever in 2012, with shows in 46 countries across six continents. “We’ve been touring since January and we’re on around show number 115,” Urs tells us. “We’ve got about 20 more to go and we finish in South America at the end of October.” In time for a well-earned rest? “No actually!” exclaims the 41-year-old, revealing that the quartet have little more than one week’s break before they fly to Japan to promote Il Divo’s Greatest Hits. Out on November 26, the record features favourites including Unbreak My Heart and Adagio, as well as four new tracks: My Heart Will Go On (in Italian), I Will Always Love You (in Spanish), Alone (in Spanish) and I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You (in English). A long way from home Urs’ transient lifestyle as a musician has become harder since he became a father to three-year-old daughter Billie with his partner, Il Divo’s British former hair and make-up artist Tania Rodney. “Last time we were on tour, the little one was only just born so we basically just took her around the world along with mummy,” he explains. “Now she’s started going to nursery, so I’ve just got to get myself through with Skype and phone calls. “It’s been hard this year but it’s a choice you make. It’s a way of life and you know it’s not going to last forever.” But the classically-trained performer insists that he has no problem getting invigorated for shows despite the demanding tour schedule and displacement from his family.   “When people come to our concerts they expect a top-notch show,” he says. “They expect you to look good, they expect you to sing well and they expect the show to be interesting and emotional. And you owe them that. I want to – and I have to – give my very best every night, because it doesn’t come for free. “I always say that singing is like a tightrope act. Every note you sing has the possibility to fail, so you always have to apply yourself. That challenge every night automatically invigorates me.” Despiteforever being tied to Simon Cowell, Urs insists that the music mogul has “absolutely nothing” to do with the day-to-day running of Il Divo. “He functions as executive producer on the album recordings and that’s it,” says the singer. “We see him once every year or two. Normally he’ll listen to demos and suggest we give certain songs a shot, and he’ll listen to the songs after we’ve been in the studio and say what he likes and what he doesn’t. That’s all he does.” These days, the group also have a greater deal of autonomy when it comes to selecting tracks for their albums. “It’s a co-operation between the four of us, Simon, the producers and the management,” adds Urs. “Everyone is welcome to give suggestions. Simon will decide, but if we don’t agree with anything then we don’t agree. “If there’s something that’s really close to our hearts and Simon doesn’t get it then we normally manage to convince him. That’s how the dynamic works.” Stuck in      ABU DHABI Il Divo’s upcoming UAE show marks the first time they’ve been here since getting stranded in Abu Dhabi during the 2010 eruption of Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull, which spewed a huge ash cloud over Europe causing chaos among air passengers. “We came from a show in Kazakhstan, and we were trapped in Abu Dhabi,” Urs remembers. “But that wasn’t the worst place to be! We all just hung out at Emirates Palace hotel for a few days, sat by the pool and enjoyed a good meal. “When you’re travelling all the time, sometimes you want to just completely chill and do nothing, and that’s exactly what we did.” For crying out loud... In 1966, The Beatles decided to stop touring as concerts inevitably descended into a wave of screaming from hysterical fans which drowned out the music. While Urs insists that Il Divo’s wildest fans are “definitely in Mexico”, he recalls a concert in Portugal three years ago when the feverish adulation almost pushed him to a similar breaking point as The Fab Four. “We were stood in front of 12,000 people in Lisbon, and at one point I asked myself, ‘What am I doing up here? Nobody’s listening.’ They were just shouting at us – in appreciation, which was wonderful – but wouldn’t you also like to listen?” says Urs. “It’s fabulous that people love you and what you’re doing, but sometimes it really almost tips over that edge.”

IL DIVO - ITV - The Alan Titchmarsh Show

IL DIVO live BBC Proms in the Park 2012 

Il Divo proud of greatest hits

Il Divo are ''proud'' of their greatest hits album.
The opera quartet - Urs Buhler, Carlos Marin, David Miller and Sebastien Izambard - are set to release a compilation of their best-loved work in November and couldn't be happier with the record, which will also feature four new tracks.
Carlos said: ''I am proud of this greatest hits. I love every song on it. It reminds me of everything we have achieved, to have been together for so many years, still selling so many records, playing so many concerts and making such great music together. It is just fantastic people have supported and enjoyed what we do for so long. It is the love of my life.''
Urs added: ''As a singer you can never take for granted what you do, every note is a balancing act. But every night I step on stage so proud of what we do. I have learned so much these past 8 years, had so many wonderful experiences and cherished every moment. This greatest hits release for us and hopefully our fans marks what has been an incredible journey so far.''
As well as a standard release, 'The Greatest Hits' will also be issued in a two disc gift edition and a limited-edition deluxe package.
The special deluxe package is limited to 3,000 signed copies and contains seven CDs, five DVDs, hard cover book and commemorative opera glasses in an Il Divo embroidered velvet bag.
Il Divo's 'Greatest Hits' is released on November 26.

Il Divo Release Definitive Greatest Hits

18 Tracks Including 4 New Songs Released November 26th on Syco

Spread the Social Love: The one and only Il Divo celebrate eight years of unprecedented global success with the release of their definitive Greatest Hits collection featuring four brand new tracks Nov 26th on Syco.
The world’s first and still the best classical crossover group – Urs Buhler, Carlos Marin, David Miller and Sebastien Izambard – have sold over 26 million albums, enjoyed over 50 number ones, chalked up 160 gold and platinum sales in over 33 countries and staged 4 world tours.

Il Divo have been on one sensational journey since their debut album exploded in November 2004 creating musical history and cementing their place as the first ever classical crossover artists. Their savvy mix of classical and pop have made them worldwide superstars. Last May the UK Classic Brits gave Il Divo the prestigious ‘Artists of the Decade’ Award to mark them spearheading a whole new genre of music.
Their second album, ‘Ancora’, released November 2006 in the UK magnified their success when it was released in the USA, January 2007, it went straight to number one in the Billboard charts, a feat to this day that has not been repeated by any classical or crossover artist.
Similarly they have become a global touring phenomenon, with their first world tour a sell out, playing 68 cities across 18 countries in 2006. Following the Billboard Breakthrough Award for one of the highest grossing tours in 2009, their current fourth world tour sees them perform an incredible 134 shows across 46 countries on 6 continents this year.
Their amazing career knows no bounds. Highlights include appearing at the opening and closing ceremony of the 2006 Fifa World Cup, touring as special guests to Barbra Streisand, a 2009 performance at President Obama’s Purple Inauguration Ball and earlier this year at a special concert for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee at Windsor Castle.
‘Il Divo Greatest Hits’ will be released as a standard 18 track CD and a 2 Disc Gift Edition. Many of the tracks have been chosen by their fans all over the world and include favourites ‘Somewhere’, ‘Unbreak My Heart’, ‘Unchained Melody’ and ‘Adagio’. They’ve also recorded four songs especially for this release: ‘My Heart Will Go On’ (in Italian), ‘I Will Always Love You’ (in Spanish), ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’ (English) and ‘Alone’ (Spanish).
The Gift Edition features an additional 13 tracks (see full track listing). A Deluxe Edition will also be available featuring 7 CDs, 5 DVDs, a hard cover book, and commemorative opera glasses in a specially embroidered velvet Il Divo bag.
‘I am proud of this Greatest Hits,” says Carlos. “I love every song on it. It reminds me of everything we have achieved, to have been together for so many years, still selling so many records, playing so many concerts and making such great music together. It is just fantastic people have supported and enjoyed what we do for so long. It is the love of my life.”
Urs says “As a singer you can never take for granted what you do, every note is a balancing act. But every night I step on stage so proud of what we do. I have learned so much these past 8 years, had so many wonderful experiences and cherished every moment. This Greatest Hits release for us and hopefully our fans marks what has been an incredible journey so far.”
Fans round the world wholeheartedly agree with those sentiments.
That beautiful blend of voices has been widely imitated since their inception but never bettered. There is only one original. There is only one Il Divo.
Full Tracklisting for Il Divo – ‘The Greatest Hits’
Standard edition
1. ‘My Heart Will Go On’*
2. ‘I Will Always Love You’ *
3. ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’*
4. ‘Alone’*
5. ‘Unchained Melody’
6. ‘Amazing Grace’
7. ‘Hero’
8. ‘Unbreak My Heart’
9. ‘Somewhere’
10. ‘Passera’
11. ‘All By Myself’
12. ‘Mama’ ‘
13. ‘Adagio’
14. ‘Without You’
15. ‘Caruso’
16. ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’
17. ‘My Way’
18. ‘Time To Say Goodbye’
*new track
Gift edition
Disc 1
18 tracks as per standard
Disc 2
1. ‘Nights In White Satin’
2. ‘Nella Fantasia’
3. ‘Ave Maria’
4. ‘La Vida Sin Amor’
5. ‘Everytime I Look At You’
6. ‘The Power Of Love’
7. ‘You Raise Me Up’
8. ‘Crying’
9. ‘She’
10. ‘Hallelujah’
11. ‘Pour Que Tu M’aimes Encore’
12. ’ The Impossible Dream’ (live)
13. ‘O Holy Night’
Deluxe edition
A full retrospective of the band’s work, containing 7 CDs, 5 DVDs, hard cover book and commemorative opera glasses in an Il Divo embroidered velvet bag. This is limited to 3000 signed copies.

Frenchman Sebastien Izambard, expected in Bucharest on September 23, along with his colleagues from Il Divo, testified that the band has gone through hard times.

 Sebastien IzambardSometimes already beaten paths are the best and most effective solution. That learned the hard way and four members of the band "Il Divo" when it came to record the new album. Came after the success of "The Promise" in 2008 and wanted something as spectacular. But lets wait a let inspiration. "It happened about three years ago. Walked, disciplined, the studio and yet we all feel we have reached a point mort.Parca us around in circles. We were unable to find direction. We do not like songs you already clocking and I wanted to give the album "remembered Frenchman Sebastien Izambard.

 Il Divo,"I felt like" I Do not Want to Miss a Thing "from Aerosmith, goes to" Hurt "Christina Aguilera song was beautifully arranged, but have text too thick," said the artist, who in Like his colleagues, David, Urs and Carlos was pestered by his label once scoada market long-awaited album.
"The pressure was huge. I re-entered the studio and started looking for songs that fit us, "he told Sebastian. Together with the other three members of the band listened to dozens of songs Frenchman gave up "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaac's. "I realized immediately that this was the right song to set the tone for the album. I knew the risk, relying on the past, but it was the right decision, "he remembered Izambard. Slowly, Il Divo has found the way and managed to find songs for the new album, as other than "Wicked Game", and that already sold millions of copies.
On September 23, fans from Romania will be able to see them from the four artists Il Divo in Constitution Square, in an exceptional concert. Tickets to the event cost between 122 and 750 lei.

Il Divo 2012. september 20., Budapest Arena

The world's premier classical crossover music team, Il Divo new album in November last year occurred on 20 September to give a concert in Budapest Arena stage.
This phenomenal quartet - Carlos Marin, Sebastien Izambard, David Miller and Urs Buhler - most impressive album to date produced the debut album from 2004, which the band has created a new style of music.
The Il Divo "Wicked Game" on Chris Isaak's classic drama version he performed on September 5, the British Red or Black TV program, and close on 7 September in America, America's Got Talent in Final surprise the audience with this wonderful szerzeménnyel.
In May, the UK Classical Brit Awards, the Il Divo received the prestigious "Artist of the Decade" award. In early August, the taste of two of the all-new concert album of the band on the stage of the London Coliseum, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In November, the concert recording of two versions will be on store shelves: a stand-alone DVD booklet as well as a CD + DVD package in the form of a sheet.
The new album, produced works of Per Magnusson and David Krueger attached to the name of Richard "Biff" Stannard addition. In addition to the title track was a huge hit in the processing of new disc as Roy Orbison "Crying" in song composition by Samuel Barber and the "Adagio For Strings".
Carlos Marin, said of the album: "It's incredible - can really hear the evolution. And that's the relationship between them and the partnership that makes it spells becomes stronger than ever. "
Urs Buhler, this disc will be impressed with their fans as well as themselves. "We think this is the greatest thing I've ever made."
David Miller, Il Divo, the secret lies in the fact that "four of them in four different tone is heard."
Sebastien Izambard developed a special relationship with the public key held. "This is the greatest merit. The fact that we see a lot of fans in front of the stage for greater recognition than any prize you can win. And they've been here for 6 years! "
The ground-breaking success of Il Divo took a brand new sound of modern music scene and created a new music style is widely recognized.
More than 25 million copies sold, 150 gold and platinum discs, over 2 million sold concert tickets and a classical crossover album - the "Ancora" - which the U.S. Billboard Top200's List debuted - after all Il Divo would be able to laurels. But it has never been their style.

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A Special Announcement from Il Divo

Il Divo's hometown hero talks up life as opera pop star

KUSA - Il Divo fans had quite the treat over the weekend in Denver. This internationally known group of men who bring opera to the masses performed at the Wells Fargo Theatre.
For one of them, it was quite the homecoming.

David Miller, the only American in the group, has Colorado roots. He's a '91 grad of Heritage High in Littleton, and lots of his friends and family, including his mom, turned out for the show.

He said having that kind of support was wonderful, though he admitted he had butterflies before taking the stage.

"I find it more nervewracking, actually, to perform in front of friends and family," he said. "They know me offstage. When I'm off on tour playing random cities around the world, people only know my stage personality. Friends and family know me since I was knee high."

Miller joked that his talent for music probably started in the womb. He said his mother used to listen to classical music all the time during her pregnancy. As a child, he tried piano, then trombone, before settling on choir when he hit middle school.

High school productions followed, and then it was on to the highly regarded Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio were he excelled.

In December 2003, he joined Il Divo along with Swiss operatic tenor Urs Bühler, French pop singer Sébastien Izambard, and Spanish baritone Carlos Marín.

Recently named Artist of the Decade at the Classic BRITS, Il Divo has sold more than 25 million albums and helped pioneer the classical crossover genre. The group has more than 150 gold and platinum awards in 33 countries.

Their first four albums, Il Divo, Ancora, Siempre and The Promise have achieved 50 #1 album chart positions internationally.
Their most recent, Wicked Game, was the basis for much of their Denver performance. Miller says a new album is due in September.

Someday, Miller is hoping Il Divo will play at one of his most favorite venues in the world, Red Rocks. "We haven't played Red Rocks yet, and that's primarily because of the size constriction. We bring a very large show, and Red Rocks has a fairly compact proscenium," he said.

"I hope we will at some point, 'cause none of the guys have ever seen it!"

Silenced: ASO used as musical “prop,” audience hears recorded music at Il Divo concert

Sunday night’s concert at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre was billed as “Il Divo and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra,” but what the audience heard over the sound system was not the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Instead, it heard prerecorded audio tracks by an entirely different orchestra.
The Il Divo singers were live, but the orchestra was relegated to the role of visual window dressing.
According to sources, the musicians were informed at the beginning of a three-hour rehearsal in the afternoon that another orchestra’s audio tracks would be heard by the audience. The tracks included instruments that were not present on stage, such as a synthesized bass guitar.
Melissa Sanders, the ASO’s senior director of communications, confirmed late Monday that the ASO management on site at Verizon also didn’t find out until the rehearsal that while the orchestra would perform the music live, the audience would hear the prerecorded orchestra. Sanders said the ASO played live during the entire performance with live microphones hanging overhead.
Nevertheless, the ASO was not in the mix piped to the audience through the sound system. The decision to use the prerecorded music was made entirely by the Il Divo tour, not by anyone from the ASO.
“I was shocked,” said one ASO musician. “There was a sense of disbelief. I wondered why on earth they wanted to book the Atlanta Symphony for this gig if they didn’t want to hear the Atlanta Symphony.”
According to sources, as the Il Divo conductor announced to the ASO musicians that they would go unheard, he explained that this was the first show Il Divo had worked with a major symphony orchestra. He said that, because so many of the local orchestras they use aren’t skilled enough to read or play the music for Il Divo, the company had prerecorded the orchestral parts to ensure consistent quality.
Those audio tracks are loaded onto a computer wired into the sound system, and a special program plays the recorded parts in the appropriate places. It’s a practice that’s widely accepted in television production, and in pop and country music, but it’s rare to have an orchestra on hand as a musical prop.
For those who missed the bus and don’t already know, Il Divo is the operatic crossover vocal quartet created in 2004 by “American Idol” fixture Simon Cowell. In many ways, the four male singers are meant to emulate the success of the Three Tenors, supplemented by a conspicuous “beefcake” factor: French pop singer Sébastien Izambard (some think intended by Cowell to be an avatar of himself), Spanish baritone Carlos Marín, American tenor David Miller and Swiss tenor Urs Bühler. Il Divo has sold more than 26 million records worldwide and has hordes of mostly female fans.
Without question, the 5,000 or so people at Verizon Amphitheatre on Sunday were there to see and hear, perhaps in that order, the men of Il Divo, not the small contingent of ASO musicians as a backup band. One cannot blame the musicians, however, who felt disrespected. After all, the ASO’s own recordings have earned 27 Grammy Awards and the ASO was part of the bill.
It was the first time the ASO has ever served as an “air orchestra” synced to a recording by another orchestra. Its outdoor performances at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta were prerecorded and that audio was used for the television broadcasts. But those recordings were of the ASO itself, not another group.

Il Divo interview Canada AM - Morning News (CTV) / May 23th 2012

Il Divo Brings Excitement to ASO Crowd

The quartet performed a blend of pop and musical theater tunes in their concert at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, using their classical crossover approach to put a new spin on songs.

Il Divo performed its 100th show for an appreciative audience in Alpharetta on Sunday night, as approximately 7,000 audience members listened to the classical crossover quartet, backed by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
This was the second Simon Cowell "creation" at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre this month. Kelly Clarkson was in town on Aug. 8 with The Fray. The American Idol had to face Cowell as one of the judges on that show's inaugural season. He was also a co-producer of the show, and helped bring it from Great Britain to the United States.
Cowell also helped create Il Divo, according to their website. The quartet – consisting of Swiss tenor Urs Buhler, baritone Carlos Marin from Spain, the French pop artist Sebastien Izambard and tenor David Miller from the U.S. – first came together in 2003. Since then they've won Artist of the Decade recognition at the Classic Brits at the Royal Albert Hall earlier this year, sold 25 million albums, 150 gold and platinum discs, more than 2 million concert tickets sold and released the only crossover classical album – ‘Ancora’ – ever to enter the US Billboard Top 200 at No 1.
Their current album is "Wicked," and the group included several songs from it on their set list. Their rendition of Roy Orbison's "Crying" had to be rearranged as it had been intended as a duet with Rebecca Del Rio. But it still won the crowd over early in the show.
Heading into musical theater, the quartet blended their voices next on "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," the song made famous in the musical, "Evita." At times their voices are overpowering, and for the most part the arrangement seems to use this at the right time.
It wouldn't be an Il Divo concert if they didn't perform "Every Time I Look at You." For the 100th time, they sang it, having included it in every concert they've ever had.
Hearing The Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody" and many other songs in a language other than English was part of the experience of an Il Divo concert. When I couldn't quite remember the lyrics in the only language that I've (sort of) mastered, I was just slightly frustrated. It's important to know that they sing in many languages – English, Italian, Spanish and French – which I did.
After performing one of Frank Sinatra's classics, "My Way," the quartet and the ASO headed backstage for intermission.
Once the break was over and the lights dimmed again, Il Divo was back into popular music, performing Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game."
One of the highlights of the concert was when Carlos Marin asked for all of the single ladies who knew how to salsa to get up and dance. It was a small number of ladies who answered the call, with ages perhaps from the 20s to the 60s or 70s, but they seemed to be having a great time.
I wasn't especially thrilled with their version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," but I favor a version that emphasizes solos if more than one singer is involved. So that's a matter of personal taste, not a reflection on the quality of the singing.
Toni Braxton's "Unbreak My Heart" just sounded like an odd choice for the quartet, though they did better than a passable job with their own rendition. The audience surely enjoyed it.
Shortly it was time for the last song (at least before the encore). Reaching back to musical theater, they sang a quartet version of "Somewhere" from "West Side Story." Il Divo's voices rose and fell with the lyrics of the song, putting emotion into the phrases.
Overall, the concert was very enjoyable and the audience was extremely appreciative. I especially appreciated American David Miller saying "Hello Alpharetta" early in the concert. Most acts just say Atlanta, and never acknowledge the actual city where the venue is located.
A good sign on the night: Very few people left early, a sign of how well received Il Divo was. And the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra provided excellent backing.