Musical history often moves in cycles, but only rarely does it reinvent itself as boldly as it did on the night of February 14, 2015. The stage was the historic Ariston Theatre in Sanremo, Italy—the birthplace of modern Italian pop. And at its center stood three young artists in their early twenties: Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto, and Gianluca Ginoble, better known to the world as Il Volo.
Before that transformative night, Il Volo occupied a curious place in the music world. Formed in 2009 on the variety show Ti lascio una canzone, they quickly made history by becoming the first Italian artists to sign with a major U.S. label (Geffen Records) in 2010. They were embraced across the Atlantic—touring with Barbra Streisand, appearing on American Idol, and captivating American audiences with their youthful, operatic style. Yet in Italy, they were often underestimated, dismissed by some critics as a polished export created for foreign tastes—three young “tenorini” who didn’t quite fit the modern Italian pop landscape.
The Sanremo Music Festival of 2015 became their moment of truth. This wasn’t merely a competition; it was an opportunity to reclaim their place in the heart of their own culture, to prove that their artistry wasn’t just marketable—it was authentic.
When the conductor raised his baton to begin their entry, “Grande Amore”, the energy inside the Ariston Theatre shifted instantly. The opening orchestral swell hinted at something dramatic, but it was their vocal delivery that electrified the room. With newfound maturity, they shed any lingering image of being child prodigies. Barone’s cutting spinto tenor, Boschetto’s rich lyric tone, and Ginoble’s smooth baritone blended with breathtaking control and intensity.
They didn’t simply perform—they unleashed a sound that felt at once traditional and fiercely modern. They took the classic language of Bel Canto and infused it with the emotional force of a contemporary power ballad.
The victory that followed was decisive. Il Volo won Sanremo, but their influence extended far beyond that triumph. At the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna later that year, performing the same song, they achieved a remarkable feat: they won the public televote by a massive margin, demonstrating that three young men singing operatic pop could surpass electronic, dance, and mainstream pop acts across the continent. Despite finishing third due to jury scores, they became widely known as the “people’s champions.”
That February night in Sanremo became a watershed moment because it did more than crown a festival winner—it revitalized a genre. Il Volo proved that Italian classical vocal music didn’t belong behind museum glass. They carried the legacy of icons like Pavarotti and Bocelli into a new era, placing it directly into the hands of a digital generation. Through “Grande Amore,” they reminded the world that the passion, drama, and beauty of Italian opera could still shake a room, stir a crowd, and dominate a global stage.