Stephen Costello

Tenor Stephen Costello has parlayed prestigious appearances in his first years as a professional into an impressive international career in America and Europe. His repertory includes both major 19th century roles and contemporary works. Costello was born in Philadelphia in 1981. His thirst for a musical career was stoked by an appearance in a Philadelphia production of the musical South Pacific. Costello attended the Academy of Vocal Arts there, studying with Bill Schuman. By the time he graduated in 2007, he had already performed in several productions at the school and made his professional debuts in the U.S. (with the Fort Worth Opera as Rodolfo in Puccini's La bohème) and in Europe (with the Opéra National de Bordeaux as Nemorino in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore). After he obtained his degree, his career took off rapidly. He performed in the coveted opening night slot at the Metropolitan Opera in the fall of 2007, singing Arturo in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, and sang Cassio in Verdi's Otello at the 2008 Salzburg Festival. Costello won the Richard Tucker Award, among the biggest honors in American opera, in 2009. One milestone in Costello's career was his appearance in the world premiere of the opera Moby-Dick (as Ishmael, opposite Ben Heppner's Captain Ahab), by Jake Heggie, at the Dallas Opera. The 2010s have seen Costello ascend to international opera stardom with appearances at many of the world's top houses, including the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Covent Garden in London, and the Paris Opera, where during the 2018-2019 season, he displayed a gift for lighter material as Camille in Franz Léhar's The Merry Widow. Costello reprised his Moby-Dick role in the opera's debut recording in 2013, and he made a duo debut the following year with Love Duets, teamed with soprano Ailyn Pérez. In 2018, Costello released his solo debut, A Te, O Cara: Stephen Costello Sings Bel Canto on the Delos label.
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