Pitch Perfect
International quartet Il Devo features a local resident
From left: David Miller, Sébastien Izambard, Urs Bühler, and Steven LaBrie.
Written by Lorie Dewhirst Porter
Photograph by Natalie Schiller
“I think it would be the perfect venue ... It’s my community, my hometown”
“I love Santa Barbara,” says Sébastien Izambard, who hails from France. “It’s the most beautiful place in the world.” He should know, having toured the world as an original member of Il Divo, the multinational classical crossover group composed of fellow “operatic heartthrobs” Urs Bühler (Switzerland), David Miller (United States), and Steven LaBrie (United States). After selling more than 30 million albums worldwide, Il Divo recently released its tenth album, XX (named in honor of the group’s 20-year anniversary), which features songs in English, Spanish, and Italian.
In addition to providing impressive vocals, Izambard is a seasoned composer and record producer. He moved to Santa Barbara four years ago and prefers to spend his off-tour days taking long beach walks. No doubt his beach attire contrasts sharply with his tour uniform; Il Divo favors sharply tailored suits from Giorgio Armani (although Izambard has been known to don edgier designs by Vivienne Westwood). “It’s important to be dressed accordingly to our music,” he explains in a charming Gallic accent. “We sing pop songs in a pop operatic way. It doesn’t feel appropriate for us to turn up in jeans. It’s a date with our audience.”
Despite its global renown, Il Divo has never performed at the Santa Barbara Bowl, and Izambard yearns to appear there. “I think it would be the perfect venue,” he says. “It’s my community, my hometown.”
