The Italian trio met on a competition show and are still going strong today. “What I feel onstage, I cannot describe. The only person who can understand it is them,” Piero Barone told.

Gianluca Ginoble, Piero Barone and Ignazio Boschetto are used to people being surprised when they open their mouths.

“We were 15 years old. People would be like, ‘Is it possible that they sing like this?” Boschetto told TODAY, speaking from the offices at 30 Rock.

Together, the three 20-somethings comprise the group Il Volo, singing what they call “popera” — music on the border of pop and opera.

The trio formed after each competed separately on the Italian reality show “Ti Lascio una Canzone” in 2009, which saw young singers covering pop songs. Ginoble won, but creator of the show Roberto Cenci had the idea to put all three together in a group.

You could call them the Italian One Direction, which Ginoble conceded.

“It’s the same story — we didn’t know each other. But I found two friends,” Ginoble said.

Unlike One Direction and many other boy bands before them, Il Volo is still together. In the 10-plus years since forming, Il Volo won the Sanremo Music Festival and represented Italy at the Eurovision Song contest; released multiple albums; performed at award ceremonies, the Nobel Peace Prize Concert; sang alongside Barbra Streisand; and more.

“One thing I will remember forever is when we performed ‘Il Sole Mio’ at ‘American Idol’ in 2011. I remember high-fiving Steven Tyler while we were singing. That was one of the craziest moments,” Ginoble said.

They’ve also gone on multiple world tours since 2011, including a North American tour happening now pegged to their new album, “Il Volo Sings Morricone,” with a set list paying tribute to Italian composer Ennio Morricone.

“Filming Italy Award” Red Carpet – The 78th Venice International Film Festival
Il Volo attend the red carpet of the “Filming Italy Award” during the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 05, 2021 in Venice, Italy. Stephane Cardinale / Corbis via Getty Images
The trio is still singing – but they say much has changed since their days as child stars. Back then, Ginoble said, they didn’t speak English, so it was difficult to communicate during interviews and with fans (they now speak English fluently, among other languages).

As self-professed “ambassadors of Bel canto,” they see it as their mission to make operatic music accessible, especially to people who don’t consider themselves fans.

“This has always been our first goal: To bring Bel canto to the younger generation. The reason they don’t listen to this kind of music is because they haven’t discovered it yet,” Barone said.