Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo began performing professionally at the age of 11 and has since appeared in opera, concert, recital, film, and on Broadway.
In 2013/14 Costanzo plays Prince Orlofsky in the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Die Fledermaus, presented live in HD, reprises the role of Ferdinand and covers the role of Prospero in the MET’s baroque pasticcio, The Enchanted Island, and covers the role of Oberon in the MET’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In the summer of 2014, he makes his European debut as Eustazio in Rinaldo at Glyndebourne. In 2013/13, Costanzo sang Tolomeo in Giulio Cesare at Michigan Opera Theater and he will return to the MET to cover that role. He also sang the Messiah with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, presented a recital at the Chan Center for the Vancouver Recital Society, performed in concert with Metropolitan Opera Harpsichordist Bradley Brookshire, sang Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with The Canticum Novum Singers. He returns to The Glimmerglass Festival this summer for a staged version of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater.
Costanzo appeared at the MET as both Ferdinand and Prospero in the world premiere of The Enchanted Island, after making his debut as Unulfo in Rodelinda in the 11/12 season. He has also recently appeared with The Glimmerglass Festival, The Opera Company of Philadelphia, Canadian Opera Company, New York City Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Palm Beach Opera, The North Carolina Opera, and as a guest with Juilliard Opera, and the Seattle Opera Young Artists Program. Costanzo played Prince Go-Go in the New York Philharmonic’s acclaimed production of Le Grand Macabre, premiered a new work at Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival with the International Contemporary Ensemble, and performed the Messiah with The Cleveland Orchestra and at Carnegie Hall. In addition he has been a featured soloist with the orchestras of Indianapolis, Alabama, Detroit, Denver, Seattle and with the National Symphony Orchestra.
In 2012, Costanzo won first place in Placido Domingo’s international competition Operalia. He is also a 2009 Grand Finals Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He won a George London Award, received a career grant from the Richard Tucker Foundation, and became the first countertenor to win First Place in the Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCullom competition, where he also won the audience choice prize. He received a Sullivan Foundation Award, and won First Place in the Opera Index Competition, the National Opera Association Vocal Competition, and the Jensen Foundation Competition, and Second Place in the Palm Beach Opera Competition, Advanced Division.
Costanzo is passionate about interdisciplinary collaboration, and created a pasticcio about castrati in collaboration with choreographer Karole Armitage and filmmaker James Ivory. Documentarian Gerardo Puglia chronicled the process, and the subsequent film was selected for the Cannes Film Festival, qualified for an Academy Award, and aired on PBS affiliates during the 2010 season. Costanzo played Francis in the Merchant Ivory film,ASoldier’sDaughterNeverCriesforwhichhewasnominatedforanIndependent Spirit Award, and Simon in Brice Cauvin’s De particulier a particulier. Working with composers, choreographers, directors and performance artists, he has appeared in New York venues such as Le Poisson Rouge, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Joe’s Pub, The Park Avenue Armory, The Guggenheim Museum, and Merkin Concert Hall. In his
youth, he performed on Broadway and in Broadway National Tours including A Christmas Carol, The Sound of Music, and Falsettos. He began his operatic endeavors playing Miles in The Turn of the Screw, and with an appearance alongside Luciano Pavarotti.
Mr. Costanzo graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Princeton University where he was awarded the Lewis Sudler Prize for extraordinary achievement in the arts and where he has returned to give a master class. He received his Masters of Music at Manhattan School of Music and won the Hugh Ross Award for a singer of unusual promise. He lives in New York City.