Antonio Paoli

1. Awarded The Cross of St. Mauricio medal by the Czar of Russia Nicholas II (1904)2. Declared Chamber Singer of the Court by the Queen of Spain Maria Cristina de Habsburgo (1904)3. Knighted into the Order of Isabella the Catholic by the Queen of Spain (1904)4. Knighted by the Prince of Portugal Carlos de Braganza as Highest Knight of the Christ of Portugal and Singer of the Royal Chamber (1904)5. Declared Chamber Singer of the Court by the Emperor of Austria Franz Joseph (1906)6. Decorated with the Cross of Alfonso II by the King of Spain Alfonso XIII (1909)7. Declared Honor Singer of the Vatican by Pope Pius X (1909)8. Honored with the title Favorite Son of Spain by the Spanish Crown (1910)9. Named Singer of the Royal Court by the Kaiser William II of Germany(1911)10. Honored with a protocol-breaking standing ovation by the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph (1912)11. Knighted Knight of the Italian Crown and Commandant of the Roman People by the King of Italy Vittorio Emmanuelle III (1920)12. Awarded a permanent pension by the Government of Puerto Rico for his fame and talent (1934)

Antonio Paoli (14 April 1871 – 24 August 1946) was a Puerto Rican tenor. At the height of his fame, he was known as "The King of Tenors and The Tenor of Kings." He is considered to be the first Puerto Rican to reach international fame in the musical arts. Paoli has been recognized as "one of the most outstanding opera singers of all time," and as one who had "one of the most lyric and powerful voices...superior even to his contemporary rival, Enrico Caruso."