Breaking: Singer Anthony Roth is named head of Opera Philadelphia
OperaThe flamboyant US countertenor, 41, now has an opera company to call his own. In a bold move Opera Philadelphia, which seemed to be in retreat, has reached for an in-demand performer to relight its fire. Costanzo’s title will be General Director and President, starting June 1, 2024.
In a social media message he says: ‘I’m ready. Are you?’
Here’s the official stuff:
“We set the goal of finding a new, creative leader who would be capable of taking Opera Philadelphia to even greater levels of artistic and business success. Of the nearly 40 impressive candidates reviewed, Anthony Roth Costanzo rose to the top and emerged as the ideal leader at this important time in our history,” said Stephen K. Klasko, Chair of Opera Philadelphia’s Board of Directors. “Anthony is a visionary, innovative, and strategic thinker, and an artist of unsurpassed quality. It is unprecedented for an opera singer in the prime of his performing career to take on this type of CEO role at a major opera company. He will set a new paradigm for our industry as a working artist running the business side of an organization.”
“Opera Philadelphia makes art at the highest level, and this incredible company has been a part of my artistic life for the past 30 years,” said Costanzo. “I distinctly remember standing behind the curtain at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia listening to the audience roar. It was 1996, and I had just finished singing the shepherd boy in Tosca starring Luciano Pavarotti. Before he went in front of the curtain to take his bow, he extended his hand for me to come with him. As I stood beside that lion of opera, looking out at an audience that he had single-handedly introduced to this art form, I knew that I not only wanted to be a part of this tradition, but I also wanted to be part of carrying it forward in an impactful way. Little did I know that I would return to the same stage to star in an opera myself with Opera Philadelphia some twenty-odd years later. But singing in operas has only been part of my journey as an artist. I have found that perhaps the greatest impact I can have comes in what I produce, create, imagine, and what stories I can help find a voice.”
He will continue his singing career, which has taken him to the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, English National Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Philadelphia, the New York Philharmonic, and The Philadelphia Orchestra, among many others.
He succeeds David B. Devan, who is leaving the company after 13 years.
We are witnessing the death of an art form in America
I’m sick Costanza too and I’ve never even heard him sing!
Is your observation based on the fear that an experienced musician (not to mention magna cum laude graduate of Princeton and a masters degree from Manhattan School of Music) head an (admittedly, small) opera company as opposed to a career administrator without any practical experience with music or theater?
I predict you will eat your negative words one day.
Toi, toi, toi, Mr. Costanzo!
The fact that he is a world renowned tenor and a smart one at that is a plus. What worries me is that he is not RETIRING from performing. Opera Philadelphia is not the size of the MET, Lyric or San Francisco, but it’s not necessarily a side hustle either.
Actually, it’s been as dead as John Cleese’s parrot for some time now.
Flamboyant, really ? Please …
I think it’s a reasonably apt description, and I think that ARC himself would agree.
What’s wrong with flamboyance if you can pull it off properly?
I have a good feeling about this appointment.
An inspired choice, though I imagine he will find it very difficult to be both a full-time working performer — which usually involves a certain amount of travel — and a full-time General Director.
Inspired? In what possible way? He has proved himself utterly without taste.
Great singer, but what experience does he have running a corporation?
Your CEO isn’t the Chief Artistic Officer — they are the person who ensures fundraising goals are met; they negotiate matters that are subject to bargaining with the union; decide what the health benefits are going to be for employees; makes the tough calls about cutting programming and laying off staff when there’s a deficit, etc.
The best CEOs are the ones who you don’t know and shouldn’t know because everything behind the house is running so smoothly.
Opera Philadelphia will soon be folded into Kimmel Center, Inc., so he won’t need much, and he has probably been hired on the understanding that he will facilitate this.
https://slippedisc.com/2023/08/did-diversity-kill-opera-in-philadelphia/
You could looking at a future General Director of The Metropolitan Opera.
Bold move! Will this prove to be an inspiring choice remains to be seen. Prophetic or is this the writing on the wall?
Countertenors have shorter careers than non-falsettists. This is good timing for ARC and perhaps a healthy move for the opera company, if he has been able to show administrative and fundraising abilities.
Mostly Boards just want someone who understands music, can work with musicians and talks the Board’s language.
Philly needs an opera company!
An interesting choice, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he programs in Philly.
He seems like a good egg in addition to being a thoughtful artist. During the earlier days of COVID, the Met did a free zoom ‘summer camp’ to expose kids to opera and my kids participated. Opera singers occasionally joined camp to do a Q&A, and A.R.C. was probably one of the higher-profile ones. He was very entertaining, especially when telling the kids about how he practices in hotel rooms and was interrupted by another guest wanting to know if he was also bothered by “that woman singing in one of these rooms” and A.R.C. agreed that the “woman singer” was a nuisance.
Flamboyant? Mmhhhh…
Not at all flamboyant when measured against the current MD of the Met …
You may be confusing flamboyance with ego. At least the one accused of flamboyance has a professional music career and an advanced education, not to mention a genuine and engaging personality. The other (at the Met), nothing but hollow bravado.
My reference was to PG, not YN-S….
During the pandemic ARC dreamed up and organized the NY Phil’s Bandwagon, which took players around the city on a rented flatbed truck to perform 80 free pop up concerts. The next summer he produced Bandwagon 2, with the orchestra playing in a tricked up shipping container in city parks while the concert hall was being renovated. The guy has plenty of ideas and organizational chops. Should be a shot in the arm for Opera Philadelphia.
Good luck to Anthony. He’s a visionary and is exactly what opera needs. He has great ideas and is very effective at fundraising. From what I’ve heard he works tirelessly and is never too grand to get his hands dirty to get the job done. I wish him every success!
I’m sure standing in front of a Met audience with his schlong hanging out provided him with valuable experience for his new career as an arts administrator.
This is likely a death knell for the company, if we can assume all productions will now be “woke” and controversial. Philadelphia is a very conservative city and very classical.