Italian crooner Patrizio Buanne will open the 2012-13 Monday Musical Club season.
Born in Naples, Italy, Patrizio split his time between Naples and Vienna, Austria, growing up. He started singing at age 3 and got his first guitar at age 8. As a teenager, he performed for Pope John Paul II at a Papal visit in Wroclaw, Poland, with 85,000 people in attendance.
That appearance led to his first record deal.
His albums ''The Italian'' (2005) and ''Forever Begins Tonight'' (2007) were recorded at London's Abbey Road Studios, where they were top sellers abroad.
Audiences in the United States discovered Patrizio initially through his live concert DVD, which was broadcast on PBS.
His latest release is the self-titled ''Patrizio,'' which includes Italian songs as well as American pop standards like ''Fly Me to the Moon'' and ''Crazy.'' He performed earlier this year on ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.''
Patrizio will perform at 7 p.m. Sunday at Stambaugh Auditorium, 1000 Fifth Ave., Youngstown. Tickets range from $25 to $40 and are available at www.mondaymusical.com and by calling 330-743-2717.
He is the first of three concerts in the 2012-13 season. Folk singer Judy Collins (''Both Sides Now'') will do a Christmas concert at 8 p.m Dec. 14, and the Chicago tribute act Brass Transit will perform at 7 p.m. April 14.