Tonio di Paolo

Last updated

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. [1] 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. [2]

Life and career

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. [3] He studied at the Eastman School of Music. He also participated in masterclasses with Luciano Pavarotti at the Juilliard School. [1]

In 1976 di Paolo made his New York City performance debut in Conrad Susa's Transformations with the Manhattan Theatre Club. [4] That same year he created the role of Meanwell in the world premiere of Samuel Adler's The Disappointment at the Library of Congress. [5] 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. [6] In 1979 he created the role of Florizel in the world premiere of John Harbison's Winter's Tale at the San Francisco Opera. [7]

In 1980 di Paolo was the tenor soloist in the Faure Requiem at Carnegie Hall with the New York Choral Society under conductor Robert De Cormier. [8] In 1981 he was the tenor soloist in Gian Carlo Menotti's Missa 'O Pulchritudo with the Westminster Cathedral Choir, the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, and conductor Joseph Flummerfelt at the Spoleto Festival USA. [9] In 1982 he portrayed Beppe in Pagliacci at the Houston Grand Opera and made his debut at the Lyric Opera of Chicago as Aldred in Die Fledermaus . [10] [11] In 1983 he appeared at the Connecticut Opera as the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto , and sang as Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore at the Washington National Opera. [12] [13]

In 1984 di Paolo appeared as Rodolfo in La bohème at the Canadian Opera Company. [14] That same year he sang Nemerino again for his debut with the Seattle Opera. He returned to Seattle several more times during the 1980s for performances of Rodolfo (1985), Edgardo di Ravenswood in Lucia di Lammermoor (1986), and the Duke of Mantua (1988). [15] He returned to the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 1986 to portray Edgardo di Ravenswood to Edita Gruberova's Lucia. [10] In 1987 he performed the title role in Pietro Mascagni's L'amico Fritz at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. [16] In 1988 he made his debut at the Hamburg State Opera as Rodolfo. [17] In 1989 he portrayed Romeo in Roméo et Juliette at the Tulsa Opera, sang Rodolfo to Ilona Tokody's Mimi with the Opera Company of Boston under conductor Sarah Caldwell, and was the tenor soloist in the Verdi Requiem with the London Symphony Orchestra. [1] [18]

In 1990 Paolo made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Alfred in Die fledermaus. [19] In 1991 he portrayed Cavaradossi to Diana Soviero's Tosca at the Opéra de Montréal. [20] In 1992 he returned to Chicago to portray Riccardo in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera . [21] In 1994 he created the role of Edgar Allan Poe in the world premiere of Augusta Read Thomas's Ligeia at the Evian Festival. [22] In 1996 he portrayed Adam in the world premiere of David Carlson's Dreamkeepers with the Utah Opera. [23] In 1998 he performed the role of Mario Cavaradossi in Puccini's Tosca at the Minnesota Opera and portrayed the title role in Gounod's Faust at the Calgary Opera. [24] In 1999 he performed the role of Radames in Aida at the Arizona Opera. [25]

In 2000 di Paolo was the featured soloist in a concert with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. [26] In 2001 he portrayed the title role in Don Carlos and the Duke of Mantua at the Arizona Opera and Canio in Pagliacci at the Minnesota Opera. [27] [28] [29] In 2002 he performed the role of Don Jose in Carmen at the Central City Opera. [30] In 2003 he portrayed Calaf in Turandot at the Austin Lyric Opera and Radames at the Atlanta Opera. [31] [32] In 2004 he appeared at the Utah Opera as Dick Johnson in Puccini's La fanciulla del West . [33] He reprised the role of Canio in 2009 at the Sugar Creek Opera and Opera Omaha. He retired in 2010. [2]

Related Research Articles

Neil Shicoff is an American opera singer and cantor and known for his lyric tenor singing and his dramatic, emotional acting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferruccio Tagliavini</span> Italian opera singer

Ferruccio Tagliavini was an Italian operatic lyric tenor mainly active in the 1940s and 1950s. Tagliavini was hailed as the heir apparent to Tito Schipa and Beniamino Gigli in the lyric-opera repertory due to the exceptional beauty of his voice, but he did not sustain his great early promise across the full span of his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orville Harrold</span> American opera singer

Orville Harrold was an American operatic tenor and musical theatre actor. He began his career in 1906 as a performer in operettas in New York City, and was also seen during his early career in cabaret, musical theatre, and vaudeville performances. With the aid of Oscar Hammerstein I, he branched out into opera in 1910 as a leading tenor with Hammerstein's opera houses in New York City and Philadelphia. While his career from this point on primarily consisted of opera performances, he periodically returned to operetta and musical theatre throughout his career. He notably created the role of Captain Dick Warrington in the world premiere of Victor Herbert's operetta Naughty Marietta in November 1910.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Alexander (tenor)</span> American operatic singer

John Alexander was an American operatic tenor who had a substantial career during the 1950s through the 1980s. He had a longstanding relationship with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, singing with that company every year between 1961 and 1987 for a total of 379 performances. He also periodically performed at the New York City Opera during his career and was a frequent presence at the Philadelphia Lyric Opera Company during the late 1950s and 1960s. Although he spent most of his career in New York City, Alexander occasionally traveled to perform as a guest artist with many of the world's leading opera houses, both in the United States and Europe. He was also an active concert singer throughout his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kamen Tchanev</span> Bulgarian tenor (1964–2020)

Kamen Tchanev / Kamen Chanev was a Bulgarian operatic tenor who enjoyed an international career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enrico Di Giuseppe</span> American tenor (1932–2005)

Enrico Di Giuseppe was a celebrated American operatic tenor who had an active performance career from the late 1950s through the 1990s. He spent most of his career performing in New York City, juggling concurrent performance contracts with both the New York City Opera and the Metropolitan Opera during the 1970s and 1980s. In the latter part of his career, he was active with the New York Grand Opera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gianni Poggi</span> Italian opera singer

Gianni Poggi was an Italian tenor, particularly associated with the Italian repertory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giuseppe Cremonini</span> Italian opera singer

Giuseppe Cremonini was an Italian operatic tenor who had a prominent opera career in Europe and the United States during the last decade of the nineteenth century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Fenn</span> American soprano (1928–2021)

Jean Fenn was an American soprano who had an active opera career in North America during the 1950s through the 1970s. Fenn was a disciplined, well-schooled singer with an excellent technique, wide range, and a highly polished sound. She was notably a regular performer at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City between 1953 and 1970. A lyric soprano, she particularly excelled in portraying roles from the operas of Giacomo Puccini, Jules Massenet, and Charles Gounod.

Asheville Lyric Opera (ALO) is a professional, non-profit opera company located in Asheville, North Carolina. Its repertoire encompasses styles ranging from the comedies of Mozart and Rossini to the classic Verdi and Puccini dramas as well as classic musical theatre works. Founder David Craig Starkey served as General and Artistic Director until 2016. The 500-seat Diana Wortham Theatre, built in 1991, has been the company's home since 2001. ALO is a member of Opera America. Dean Anthony was announced as the company's new Artistic and Producing Direction beginning with the 2019/2020 Season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabor Carelli</span> Hungarian classical tenor

Gabor Carelli was a Hungarian classical tenor who had an important career in operas and concerts in North America during the mid-20th century. He was notably committed to the Metropolitan Opera in New York City from 1951 to 1974 where he gave a total of 1,079 performances. Music critic Elizabeth Forbes stated that he had "a lyrical voice, a stylish technique and an aptitude for comedy." In 1964 he joined the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music, where he taught singing and worked as an ensemble instructor until his death in Manhattan at the age of 83.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stéfan Louw</span> South African operatic tenor

Stéfan Louw is a South African operatic tenor, regarded as one of South Africa's leading tenors. He has been performing opera since 1995.

Maurice Stern is an American operatic tenor and sculptor. He graduated from the Eastman School of Music. He made his debut at the New York City Opera as The Emperor Altuom in Giacomo Puccini's Turandot, and received a laudatory solo review by Eric Salzman of The New York Times for that small role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Valenti</span> American opera singer

James Valenti is an American operatic tenor with an active international career specializing in leading roles in the Italian and French repertoire. Born and raised in New Jersey, in the United States, he attended St. Helena School and North Hunterdon High School before becoming a graduate of West Virginia University and the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Valenti also holds a Master of Voice Pedagogy degree from Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Valenti made his professional debut in 2003 as Rodolfo in La bohème at the Rome Opera, and was the 2010 winner of the Richard Tucker Award.

Francesca Roberto is an American operatic soprano. A winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, she sang leading roles throughout the United States during the 1960s and early 1970s.

Andrea Velis was an American operatic tenor who had a lengthy association with the Metropolitan Opera that spanned 33 seasons. Considered a highly skilled character actor, he excelled in supporting roles, often to great comedic effect. His voice is preserved on several recordings made for Live from the Metropolitan Opera and the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aristodemo Giorgini</span> Italian opera singer

Aristodemo Giorgini was an Italian opera singer who sang leading lyric tenor roles on the stages of Europe and North America during his 25-year career. He made numerous recordings in the early 20th century and was described by Gramophone Magazine as possessing "a sweet, steady, well-placed voice and a style distinguished by the purity of its legato." After his retirement from the stage in 1930, he taught singing in Naples, the city of his birth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fabio Sartori</span> Italian opera singer

Fabio Sartori is an Italian operatic tenor. He is particularly known for his interpretations of Italian roles by Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini and of the Verismo.

Anando Mukerjee is an Indian tenor. He is considered to be the only internationally recognized operatic tenor from India and has been described as 'India's finest tenor'.

Joseph Evans is an American tenor, stage director, and music educator. Trained at the University of North Texas, Evans made his professional opera debut with the Fort Worth Opera in December 1966 in the world premiere of Julia Smith's The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep. In his early career he worked as a music teacher in Dallas and Houston while working part time as a performer. With the encouragement and support of Sarah Caldwell he pursued a full time singing career. He was a principal tenor in Caldwell's Opera Company of Boston from 1974 to 1988.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Tonio Di Paolo: Old Fashioned Tenor Sings Role of Romeo". Tulsa World . March 3, 1989.
  2. 1 2 Leon Lagerstam (May 24, 2012). "Quiet community is home for world-travelled opera singer". The Dispatch / The Rock Island Argus .
  3. ↑ Karen White (March 1, 1986). "NT Tenor Nervous About Kleinhans Debut Tonight" (PDF). Tonawanda News.
  4. ↑ Allen Hughes (May 28, 1976). "Opera: Sexton's Grimm". The New York Times . p. 58.
  5. ↑ Elise Kuhl Kirk (2001). American Opera . University of Illinois Press. p.  30. ISBN   0-252-02623-3.
  6. ↑ Harold C. Schonberg (November 20, 1976). "'Reluctant King' Sung at Juilliard" (PDF). The New York Times . p. 15.
  7. ↑ Margaret Ross Griffel (2012). Operas in English: A Dictionary. Scarecrow Press. p. 544. ISBN   9780810883253.
  8. ↑ Peter G. Davis (April 27, 1980). "Concert: Two Te Deums" (PDF). The New York Times . p. 70.
  9. ↑ Donald L. Hixon (2000). Gian Carlo Menotti: A Bio-bibliography. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 223. ISBN   9780313261398.
  10. 1 2 "1980 SEASON". Lyric Opera of Chicago Opera Archives. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  11. ↑ John Rockwell (December 6, 1982). "Opera: Houston Troupe Offers Busoni 'Harlequin'". The New York Times .
  12. ↑ Robert Sherman (April 10, 1983). "Top-Notch Quality At Yale Competition". The New York Times .
  13. ↑ William E. Farrell (December 10, 1983). "But The Temperatures Surge In Washington". The New York Times .
  14. ↑ Ezra Schabas, Carl Morey (2000). Opera Viva: The Canadian Opera Company The First Fifty Years. Dundurn Press. p. 269.
  15. ↑ "Tonio di Paolo". Seattle Opera Performance Archives. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  16. ↑ Will Crutchfield (December 21, 1987). "Opera: Mascagni's 'Amico Fritz' at Kennedy Center". The New York Times .
  17. ↑ "Performance Report: Germany". Opera . July 1989. p. 64.
  18. ↑ Daniel Kessler (2008). Sarah Caldwell: The First Woman of Opera . Scarecrow Press. p.  259. ISBN   9780810861107. Tonio di Paolo.
  19. ↑ Allan Kozinn (April 15, 1990). "Review/Opera; Cast Changes In the Met's 'Fledermaus'". The New York Times .
  20. ↑ Roger Flury (2012). Giacomo Puccini: A Discography. Scarecrow Press. p. 321. ISBN   9780810883291.
  21. ↑ "1990s Performances". Lyric Opera of Chicago Performance Archives. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Poe's writings inspire opera called 'Ligeia'". The Baltimore Sun . January 21, 1994.
  23. ↑ "Dreamkeepers". operaamerica.org. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Tosca Goes Online". Minnesota Public Radio . 1998.
  25. ↑ Daniel Buckley (January 14, 1999). "Calendar". Tucson Citizen .
  26. ↑ Karin Remesch (November 23, 2000). "Pride Of Baltimore Returns". The Baltimore Sun .
  27. ↑ M.V. MOORHEAD (April 5, 2001). "Scope Opera". Phoenix New Times .
  28. ↑ "Arizona Opera opens its 31st season with Rigoletto'". Green Valley News . September 21, 2001.
  29. ↑ Jay Furst (May 15, 2001). "Home 'Pagliacci,' 'Carmina Burana' pairing makes for spellbinding experience". Post-Bulletin .
  30. ↑ "Di Paolo, Tonio". University of Denver Library. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  31. ↑ "Review: Turandot". The Austin Chronicle . November 28, 2003.
  32. ↑ Thomas Bell (October 30, 2003). "War and forgiveness?: Atlanta Opera debuts new home with Aïda". Creative Loafing .
  33. ↑ Edward Reichel (March 7, 2004). "Opera-singing cowboys: Puccini's 'Girl of the Golden West' starts Saturday in S.L." Deseret Morning News . Archived from the original on January 29, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.