Skip to content
    skip to navigation

    Classic FM

    Listen

    On Air Now

    The Kanneh-Mason Family Takeover 9pm - 10pm

    The Kanneh-Mason Family Takeover

    Now Playing

    Little Women - Jo Writes Alexandre Desplat

    • Playlist
    • Schedule
    • Home
    • Radio
    • News
    • Discover Music
    • Composers
    • Artists
    • Lifestyle
    • Win
    • Charity
    • Podcasts
    • Events
    • Dating
    • Follow us on:
      Follow Classic FM on Twitter
      Follow Classic FM on Facebook
      Follow Classic FM on Instagram
      Follow Classic FM on Youtube

    Artists

    Il Divo

    • Il Divo Home
    • News
    • More Artists

    Il Divo - 20 facts you never knew

    You might know Il Divo are made up of singers Urs Bühler, Carlos Marin, Sébastien Izambard and David Miller, but how much more do you know about the opera group? Discover 20 interesting facts about the chart-topping singers.

    1. Il Divo

      1. International Roots

      Il Divo are made up of Swiss tenor Urs Bühler, Spanish baritone Carlos Marin, French pop artist Sébastien Izambard and American tenor David Miller.

    2. Il Divo

      2. Football World Cup

      They recorded the official anthem for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, performing in front of an International audience of 1 billion people at the opening ceremony and World Cup Final.

    3. Il Divo Greatest Hits

      3. How many record sales?

      More than 25 million album sales, 150 gold and platinum discs, and the only crossover classical album to reach the US Billboard No. 1 spot, Il Divo have made quite a name for themselves since they formed in 2004.

    4. celine dion

      4. Il Divo and Celine Dion

      I Believe in You is the result of a collaboration between Céline Dion and Il Divo. There are two released versions of the song, one released on Céline's album, On ne change pas, and the other on Il Divo's, Ancora.

    5. il divo

      5. David Miller's opera pedigree

      David has a Masters Degree in Opera Theatre and has performed on Broadway in Baz Luhrmann's La Bohème.

    6. il divo

      6. Opera and heavy metal

      At the same time as studying at a music academy, tenor Urs was fronting a heavy metal band.

    7. il divo

      7. Urs Bühler - early starter

      As a five-year-old in Lucerne, Switzerland, Urs joined the local choir, and took lessons in violin, clarinet, piano, guitar and drums.

    8. il divo

      8. Il Divo… in the White House

      Prior to joining the group, tenor David Miller performed at the White House for President Clinton in 1998.

    9. Eminem

      9. Collaboration with... Eminem?

      The opera four-piece have collaborated with Barbara Streisand and Celine Dion, but they've expressed a desire to work with US rap superstar, Eminem. Il Divo member Urs said: "I think working with Eminem would be something so different from anything we've done so far, but I can so imagine it if I listen to certain Eminem tracks."

    10. il divo

      10. Carlos Marín - musical man

      Baritone Carlos Marín has performed in several musicals, including Les Misérables, The Beauty And The Beast, Grease, and Peter Pan.

    11. Sébastien Izambard

      11. Self-taught Sébastien Izambard

      French singer Sébastien is the only self-taught musician in the group. He plays guitar and piano after learning the instruments by ear, and has produced for many other French artists.

    12. il divo

      12. Sébastien the pop star?

      Prior to Il Divo, Sébastien Izambard released an acclaimed pop album, Libre, and his single Si Tu Savais topped the French charts.

    13. il divo

      13. Simon Cowell and the X Factor

      There aren't many operatic groups who can boast of being inspired by the X Factor, but Simon Cowell decided to act on his operatic quartet idea when G4 came second on the reality show in 2004.

    14. il divo

      14. Il Il Divo's YouTube Success

      The group are almost as popular on the internet as they are in concert halls around the world. So far, their videos have received over 44 million views on YouTube - and counting.

    15. Andrea Bocelli

      15. Inspired by Andrea Bocelli

      The idea behind Il Divo came to Simon Cowell after hearing Andrea Bocelli singing Con te partirò while watching The Sopranos.

    16. il divo

      16. Urs Bühler likes metal and motorbikes

      Perhaps a career as a rocker would be equally appealing to boy-racer tenor Urs? "I love to play guitar and ride my motorbikes, I'm passionate about both," he said.

    17. katherine jenkins

      17. Il Divo and Katherine Jenkins

      The Il Divo boys announced they were touring with Katherine Jenkins for the first time in 2013, where they're set to perform all their greatest hits.

    18. il divo

      18. The secret behind crossover success

      David Miller revealed the group's success was something of an experiment, as the foursome played around with different styles. He said: "We had no map to follow - it was just trying to figure out: how do we use our voices, and how do we take these songs that the record company has given us to interpret, and how do we turn this into something that straddles two worlds at the same time but then has its own unique sound?"

    19. il divo

      19. Il Divo on American Idol

      The boys performed on American Idol as part of a charity show, raising money for children in the USA and Africa. For every vote cast, the show's sponsors donated money to good causes around the world.

    20. il divo

      20. Pop or classical?

      The boys have responded to critics by saying they use classical techniques, and sing in a dramatic style which is verging towards operatic. By blurring the boundaries between genres, Il Divo hope their audiences will focus on the emotional response to the music, rather than trying to fit it into a specific style.

    Il Divo News

    See more Il Divo News

    Il Divo

    'The normal life of a band is four or five years – we've been here for 12 because of our fans' says Il Divo

    Il Divo

    Il Divo recorded some video messages for their fans: did they pick you?

    Richard Reed Parry, Andrea Bocelli and Urs Buhler

    Placido Domingo, Andrea Bocelli and Il Divo take the Ice Bucket Challenge

    Il Divo Music

    See more Il Divo Music

    Il Divo Greatest Hits

    Il Divo: The Greatest Hits - an album guide

    Il Divo Pictures

    See more Il Divo Pictures

    katherine jenkins at the o2 with il divo

    Katherine Jenkins and Il Divo live on tour at the O2 arena

    Katherine Jenkins

    Il Divo and Strictly Come Dancing

    Il Divo and Strictly Come Dancing

    Il Divo Guides

    See more Il Divo Guides

    il divo a musical affair

    Il Divo: A Musical Affair - an album guide

    Back to top

    Also on Classic FM

    • Listen to Global Player
    • Alexander Armstrong on Classic FM
    • Google Doodle
    • Quizzes
    • Mozart
    • Debussy
    • Music theory
    • Instruments
    • Classic FM Live
    • Brahms
    • Vivaldi
    • Bach
    • LBC News
    • Tchaikovsky
    • Chopin
    • Andrea Bocelli
    • Florence Price
    • Beethoven
    • Best classical music
    • Classic FM Requests
    • Best pianists
    • Harry Potter music
    • Saturday Night at the Movies
    • Star Wars soundtrack
    • Composer or pasta
    • Music for Studying
    • Best violinists
    • Classical music tearjerkers
    • Relaxing classical

    Useful Links

    • Contact Us
    • Help
    • How To Listen
    • About Classic FM
    • Company Details
    • Cookies
    • Privacy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Advertise
    • Global Jobs

    Download the app

    Get it on the app store Get it on Google Play

    Follow Us

    Follow Classic FM on Twitter
    Follow Classic FM on Facebook
    Follow Classic FM on Instagram
    Follow Classic FM on Youtube
    © Global 2023
    30 Leicester Square, London, WC2H 7LA
    Privacy Manager