Anthony Roth Costanzo, the celebrated American countertenor who’s one among opera’s greatest stars, will lead Opera Philadelphia as its subsequent basic director and president, the corporate introduced on Thursday.
Costanzo, 41, whose tenure begins in June, shall be a uncommon determine within the classical music business: an artist in his prime who can also be working as an administrator. He mentioned he would proceed to carry out extensively at the same time as he works to reshape Opera Philadelphia, which has struggled to get well from the disruption of the pandemic.
“I’m actually curious about how I can have probably the most impression,” Costanzo mentioned in an interview. “And there’s solely a lot you are able to do as a person artist.”
Stephen Okay. Klasko, the chair of Opera Philadelphia’s board of administrators, mentioned Costanzo rose to the highest of a listing of 40 candidates due to his eagerness to draw new audiences and type new partnerships as the corporate seems to be for a sustainable enterprise mannequin.
“He’s enthusiastic, he’s constructive,” Klasko mentioned, “and he sees our future as being an entity that goes past opera.”
At Opera Philadelphia, Costanzo will oversee fund-raising, enterprise technique, viewers improvement, neighborhood initiatives and inventive planning. Klasko mentioned that whereas Costanzo didn’t have conventional credentials, the board was impressed by his work as a inventive producer and impresario. Costanzo has curated festivals, for instance, on the New York Philharmonic.
“He’s actually had a reasonably numerous background,” Klasko mentioned. “And he’s achieved a reasonably darn good job on the enterprise aspect of issues.”
Costanzo will succeed David B. Devan, who introduced final yr that he would depart the corporate this spring after 13 years.
Costanzo performs often on the world’s main phases. He has additionally led an array of tasks exterior opera, like “Solely an Octave Aside,” a present with the cabaret artist Justin Vivian Bond.
Costanzo will take the reins at a difficult time for Opera Philadelphia, which has lengthy had a repute as a haven for revolutionary and bold work.
Because the pandemic, the corporate, based in 1975, has slashed its finances, eradicated employees positions and decreased the variety of performances. Subsequent season, the finances is $10 million, down from $15.6 million for the 2018-19 season; there shall be 9 performances, in contrast with 30 earlier than. Opera Philadelphia, which has by no means had a considerable endowment, is extremely depending on ticket gross sales and new donations.
Opera firms throughout america are combating rising prices and lingering monetary ache from the pandemic. The Metropolitan Opera in New York has withdrawn about $70 million from its endowment over the previous two seasons to assist cowl prices.
Opera Philadelphia’s leaders have tried to get past the corporate’s woes by intensifying fund-raising efforts and forming alliances with different cultural establishments. The corporate introduced final month that it might work with the Apollo Theater in Harlem to develop new operatic works by Black artists.
Costanzo mentioned Opera Philadelphia’s future would contain new collaborations. “We’ve got to carry opera into the zeitgeist in numerous methods,” he mentioned, “whether or not it’s by style, grass-roots engagement or different means.”
“We’ve got to create a form of groundswell and buzz,” he added.
Costanzo, who grew up in Durham, N.C., started his relationship with Opera Philadelphia in 1996, when he was 14 and carried out as a shepherd boy in a manufacturing of Puccini’s “Tosca,” starring Luciano Pavarotti. On the finish of the opera, Costanzo recalled, Pavarotti prolonged his hand, inviting Costanzo to affix him for a bow.
Costanzo returned to Opera Philadelphia as an grownup in 2011 for a manufacturing of Henze’s “Phaedra.” In 2018, he produced and starred within the operatic artwork set up “Glass Handel” on the firm’s Competition O in 2018, elevating almost $1 million to cowl the prices of the challenge.
In Philadelphia, he mentioned he was desirous to program extra small-scale works and modern music, along with conventional choices. He additionally desires to rethink the corporate’s fund-raising technique.
“I method the whole lot I do with creativity,” he mentioned, “as a result of I started as and nonetheless am an artist.”
