• April 18, 2005
• Vol. 63
• No. 15

Idols of the Opera

Think Three Tenors Plus Clay Aiken. American Idol's Simon Cowell Creates An International Group of Classically Trained Dreamboats Called Ii Divo

Auditioning hundreds of classically trained singers from 16 international cities for Il Divo, his new pop-opera quartet, Simon Cowell realized that his musical diet had been oversaturated with American Idol tryouts. "It was rather like eating bread and water for three or four years and then suddenly somebody serves you the best food in the world," says Cowell, who was inspired to develop and produce the group, which records on his label, after hearing Italian sensation Andrea Bocelli. "It's like, my God, what have I been missing?"

The result is a bravo new world for his singers: David Miller, 31, of Denver, a baritone who recently sang in the Broadway production of La Bohème; Urs Buhler, 33, of Switzerland, a tenor formerly with the Netherlands Opera; Sebastien Izambard, 31, a Parisian who once ventured far enough into rock to land a recording contract; and Carlos Marin, 36, a baritone from Madrid. Launched in Britain last fall, the group was an overnight success with their self-titled album, and they're getting a big promotional kickoff for its release here April 19 (Oprah, Leno, Regis and Kelly, tra la la). Fluent in four languages, they sing pantingly romantic harmonies on songs like "Regresa A Mi" (an Italian version of Toni Braxton's "Unbreak My Heart"). "You put four guys together with different temperaments and you shake it like a cocktail," says Marin (who, like Miller, has a girlfriend). "We mix so many passions." But they do take a unified stand on what they like (suits by Armani, who's dressing them) and dislike (growling vocals). "We're a very strong unit," says Miller. "But we try not to be, well, divos about it."