Il Divo Remember Carlos Marín, Talk New Music
Il Divo, the classical crossover vocal group assembled by Simon Cowell in 2003, has spoken about rebuilding after the death of Spanish baritone Carlos Marín, who died unexpectedly in 2021 aged 53. Surviving members Urs Bühler, Sébastien Izambard and David Miller recruited Mexican-American baritone Steven LaBrie to continue the group's legacy, a decision they say honours Marín's memory while allowing them to move forward with new music and touring.
The group, which has sold more than 30 million albums and was the first classical crossover act to top the Billboard 200 (with 2006's Ancora), is working on a follow-up to 2024's anniversary album XX, alongside planned collaborations. Il Divo will return to Australia on 5 December for the Carreras & Friends concert at Brisbane's Gabba Stadium, led by Jose Carreras and featuring Robbie Williams, the Corrs, Ronan Keating and others—their first Australian performance since a 2023 tour.
- Il Divo reflect on Carlos Marín's 2021 death and moving forward with new singer
- New album in the works, following 2024's XX
- Group to perform in Brisbane on 5 December with Jose Carreras and guests
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Il Divo is a vocal quartet formed in 2003 by music mogul Simon Cowell, blending classical opera-style singing with pop songs to create what's known as classical crossover music. The group became hugely successful, selling more than 30 million albums worldwide. One of its founding members, Spanish baritone Carlos Marín, died suddenly in 2021 at the age of 53.
Since Marín's death, the remaining three members, Urs Bühler, Sébastien Izambard and David Miller, have been working out how to continue the group. They have now brought in a new singer, Mexican-American baritone Steven LaBrie, to fill Marín's role going forward.
Il Divo has a long history of high-profile performances and chart success, including being the first classical crossover act to reach number one on the US Billboard 200 album chart. The group continues to record and tour internationally, with new music and live dates part of its ongoing work following the line-up change.