Anthony Roth Costanzo was hired Thursday as general director and president of Opera Philadelphia and will continue his career as a leading countertenor while taking over an ambitious company dealing with post-pandemic economic challenges.
"Even though I鈥檓 an opera singer, it鈥檚 my job to ensure the health of this art form I love,鈥� he said in an interview this week. 鈥淎nd the other side of the coin is that I鈥檓 frustrated by opera and its inability to always innovate in the ways I think can help it grow. So, it鈥檚 something I have been building a skill set for for a long time, and I have been waiting for an opportunity that feels right.鈥�
Constanzo, who turns 42 on May 8, will start work on June 1 and replace David Devan, who is . Music director Corrado Rovaris has a contract through 2026-27.
Opera Philadelphia for 2024-25 dropped its well-regarded season-opening festival, which began in 2017, and lowered next season鈥檚 budget to $10 million 鈥� of which $1,275,000 is projected to come from ticket revenue. There will be just three mainstage productions, starting with the on Sept. 25.
鈥淭hey kept this season lean, which gives me some room to move around if I鈥檓 successful in bringing more resources,鈥� Constanzo said. 鈥淚 really feel like some of the future vision that we can build on at Opera Philadelphia is the idea of strategic partnerships and collaborations that help us pool resources and expand our wings beyond the world of opera."
Costanzo raised the funding for 鈥淕lass Handel,鈥� an art installation at Philadelphia鈥檚 Barnes Foundation as part of the O18 festival that featured the music of Philip Glass and George Frideric Handel. It included videos, live painting and dance.
鈥淚 put together the idea and the creative team, and then I built the budget,鈥� he said in an interview this week. 鈥淚 remember even driving the truck, the U-Haul truck with the sets in it.鈥�
Board chairman Stephen K. Klasko said 42 people applied for the position. Costanzo impressed with 鈥渉is optimism and charisma.鈥�
鈥淗is ability to have raised a lot of contributor revenue for his programs was pretty incredible,鈥� Klasko said. 鈥淲e have to build new audiences that are excited about what we鈥檙e doing that aren鈥檛 necessarily coming out to see `Madame Butterfly.鈥樷��
Costanzo appeared this year in a new production of Thomas Ad猫s鈥� 鈥淭he Exterminating Angel鈥� at the Paris Op茅ra, headlines Gluck鈥檚 鈥淥rfeo ed Eurydice鈥� at the Metropolitan Opera starting May 16 and is in the world premiere of Gregory Spears鈥� 鈥淭he Righteous鈥� at the Santa Fe Opera starting July 13.
Holding an administrative role while singing is rare but not unprecedented. Soprano Beverly Sills became general director of New York City Opera in 1979 and continued singing for the next year.
Ronald Blum, The Associated Press
