Entertainment
23 September, 2026
Stunning tribute to Bocelli
INTERNATIONAL lyric tenor Paul Ettore Tabone returned home and swept an intimate audience at the Innisfail Shire Hall into a world of nostalgia, elegance and soaring emotion earlier this month, delivering a breathtaking tribute to Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.
From the first note, Tabone’s golden tone and commanding stage presence held the space, bringing Bocelli’s most iconic works to life with heartfelt authenticity.
Tabone moved seamlessly through favourites, such as ‘Canto della Terra’ and ‘Besame Mucho’, alongside operatic classics including, ‘Nessun Dorma’ and ‘O Sole Mio’.
Each piece was delivered with deep personal connection.
“Bocelli’s voice shaped my journey,” Tabone told the audience. “Today, I honour the man who inspired me to dream beyond anything I imagined.”
The audience was taken on a musical journey through Bocelli’s life from his childhood in Lajatico, Tuscany, where he was born with congenital glaucoma, to his rise as one of the world’s most beloved tenors.
Despite losing his sight at age 12, Bocelli pursued music – not for fame but truth – eventually winning the San Remo Music Festival in 1994 and selling more than 90 million records worldwide.
Tabone shared his own extraordinary connection to Bocelli, recalling the moment he stood beside him on stage at the Arena di Verona in 2013 before 20,000 spectators. “As a boy from Ingham, when I first moved to Italy at 21, I never imagined I’d learn from one of the greatest tenors alive,” he said.
“Performing with Bocelli taught me professionalism, discipline and heart.”
The concert featured ‘Ave Maria, ‘Santa Lucia’, ‘Mama’, ‘Volare’, ‘You Raise Me Up’, ‘La Luna non C’e’ and Edith Piaf’s ‘La Vie En Rose’, showcasing Tabone’s versatility in Spanish, French and Italian.
He was accompanied by world-class pianist Mark Connors on the Steinway.
Local guest artists John Scanlan, Amber Meeson and Lochlan Collinson added regional flair. Meeson shone in ‘Moon River’ and ‘All by Myself’ before joining Tabone in duets including ‘I Believe’, ‘The Prayer’ and ‘Caruso’. Scanlan delivered stirring renditions of ‘The Holy City’ and ‘Hallelujah’, while Collinson offered a heartfelt rendition of ‘How Great Thou Art’.
The trio closed with ‘Time to Say Goodbye’, before Tabone returned for an encore of ‘My Way’.
Read More: Innisfail