TONIO DiPAOLO was born Anthony DePaolo in North Tonawanda, who became a leading operatic tenor, performing on many of the world’s greatest stages. From an early age, he had a natural gift for singing, performing at weddings by the eighth grade and in the Ascension Roman Catholic Church Choir by ninth.

After encouragement from his high school music teacher who introduced him to classical choral works, his musical passion ignited. A scholarship student at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, he later participated in masterclasses with Luciano Pavarotti at the Juilliard School in NYC. Suggested by his Italian teacher, he took the professional name Tonio DiPaolo.

Debuting as a baritone in the 1970s, he soon transitioned to tenor, and launched an international career that spanned over three decades. He performed leading roles with many of the world’s premier opera companies, including the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Deutsche Oper Berlin, and Hamburg State Opera. His repertoire encompassed opera’s greatest heroes, from Rodolfo (La Bohème) and Cavaradossi (Tosca) to Don José (Carmen), Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor), and Calaf (Turandot). A strong advocate for contemporary opera, he also created roles in world premieres by distinguished American composers; Samuel Adler, John Harbison, Augusta Read Thomas, and David Carlson.

His concert appearances featured collaborations with the London Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, and the New York Choral Society at Carnegie Hall. Among his career highlights was a performance of Verdi’s Requiem with the London Symphony at a command performance for Princess Diana; which he fondly remembers sitting and talking with her for nearly an hour.

He was singing LaTraviata in Berlin when the wall came down, and he actually pounded on the wall and came home with some of the pieces. While singing Il Trovatore in Israel with the Israeli Philharmonic, he had the opportunity to visit Jerusalem and Bethlehem, read a newspaper in the Dead Sea, and climbed Masada. Being an avid sports fan, he had the opportunity to sing our National Anthem at multiple professional baseball stadiums.

With so many experiences, he is especially grateful for being the tenor soloist with the BPO at Kleinhans with Maestro Semyon Bychkov; a very emotional and rewarding time to be able to sing to friends and family in his home town. He retired from singing in 2010 remaining deeply connected to his roots.

He often recalls the kindness of the North Tonawanda community during his family’s difficult times and still cherishes every visit home, never missing a stop at DiCamillo’s Bakery or Viola’s Subs. It is a pleasure and honor to welcome Tonio DiPaolo into the Niagara Falls Music Hall of Fame.