Paoli (birth name: Antonio Emilio Paoli y Marcano ) was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He was the son of Amalia Marcano Intriago, of Spanish ancestry, who was born on the island of Margarita, Venezuela, and of Domingo Paoli … See more

Amalia was taking singing classes under Napoleon Verger. She was under the patronage of Isabel de Borbón, Princess of Asturias and sister … See more

By 1914, just before the start of World War I, Paoli lost his voice and all of the major opera houses in Europe were shut down. Paoli moved to … See more

Even with this busy agenda, Paoli's financial situation remained strained. After living in New York City for almost the entire year of 1927, … See more

Between 1900 and 1914, Paoli performed in Europe, America, Africa, and Asia. He performed in Italy, Luxembourg and in the United Kingdom, with performances in London See more

In January 1917, Paoli returned to the stage and performed the opera Samson and Delilah at the Constanzi Theater in Rome. Elvira de Hidalgo, who later became the singing coach of Maria Callas, recalled:
Paoli kept busy … See more

Antonio Paoli was the first Puerto Rican to gain international recognition in the performing arts. He gave 1,725 performances between 1888 and 1942, and interpreted Verdi's Otello 575 times. To his credit, Paoli was also the first opera singer in the world … See more