Tonio di Paolo

Tonio di Paolo is an American opera singer. He began his career in the 1970s as a baritone but since the late 1970s has portrayed roles as a leading tenor. His performance credits include appearances with the Metropolitan Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the San Francisco Opera, the Houston Grand Opera, the Canadian Opera Company, and the Hamburg State Opera among other companies. He has created roles in the world premieres of operas by composers Samuel Adler, David Carlson, John Harbison, and Augusta Read Thomas. He retired from the stage in 2010.

Born in North Tonawanda, New York, di Paolo is the son of Lynne and Frank di Paolo. As a child he attended Colonel Payne Elementary School, Al Payne Avenue Junior High, and North Tonawanda High School. He was highly influenced by the music teachers at these schools, and by the musicians at his family church; the Ascension Roman Catholic Church in North Tonawanda. He studied at the Eastman School of Music. He also participated in masterclasses with Luciano Pavarotti at the Juilliard School.

In 1976 di Paulo made his New York City performance debut in Conrad Susa's Transformations with the Manhattan Theatre Club. That same year he created the role of Meanwell in the world premiere of Samuel Adler's The Disappointment at the Library of Congress. On 18 November 1976 he portrayed Henri de Valois in the United States premiere of Emmanuel Chabrier's Le roi malgré lui with the Juilliard Opera. In 1979 he created the role of Florizel in the world premiere of John Harbison's Winter's Tale at the San Francisco Opera.

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