[OSEN=Choi Lee-jung Reporter] Choi Sung-hoon, a countertenor from the crossover group LA POEM, has fired the starting gun for global music exchange by having a special encounter with the world-renowned classical crossover group Il Volo.
Choi recently attended Il Volo’s world tour performance held at Villa Erba in Cernobbio, Italy. This meeting, which took place after the performance, was realized through an active invitation from Il Volo, drawing significant attention from the global music industry. The two teams shared a meaningful time discussing music in depth in the waiting room.
On this day, Choi gifted Il Volo members LA POEM’s album *ALIVE, Alive*, which was released in January and received great love. According to a source, Il Volo members were impressed by the album’s sophisticated design and showed particular interest by carefully examining each jacket photo one by one.
A surprising behind-the-scenes story was also revealed. Il Volo members had already watched LA POEM’s songs and music videos, and they did not hesitate to praise the group’s unique musicality and visual aesthetics. Furthermore, Il Volo sent a love call to Choi, saying, “We definitely want to sing together,” and “We want to visit Korea soon. When that happens, we must definitely perform on stage together,” raising expectations for a historic collaboration between the two teams.
Il Volo, who met with Choi, is a leading vocal group in the global classical crossover market. They have a strong fandom spanning Europe, North and South America, and Asia, and are world-renowned artists who have topped the U.S. Billboard Classical Albums Chart and sold millions of albums.
LA POEM, which stands shoulder-to-shoulder with them, is also growing its global presence as a representative of “K-Crossover.” Recently, they appeared on Spain’s representative audition program *Got Talent España* as the first Korean artists, achieving the feat of reaching TOP4 among vocalists, leaving a strong impression on the European stage.
Choi, the core member of the team, also boasts overwhelming ticket power in his solo career. His recent solo recital *Avec* at the Seoul Arts Center sold out at lightning speed, once again proving his profound musicality as South Korea’s representative countertenor.
As Choi Sung-hoon of LA POEM and the global crossover maestro Il Volo connected through music beyond borders, attention is focused on what synergy this dramatic encounter will bring to the global music market.