Lyric
tenor Stephen Costello is a world-class Philadelphia talent
By Lou Baldwin
Special to The CS&T
PHILADELPHIA — For a major city, Philadelphia has produced surprisingly
few world-class male classical singers.
There were baritone Frank Guarrera and tenor Mario Lanza; baritone Nelson
Eddy was not native to the city, but had Philadelphia connections. And
that’s about it.
Now, finally, there’s another one in the making — tenor Stephen
Costello, 26, who grew up in Our Lady of Calvary Parish.
Costello, who is under contract with the famed Metropolitan Opera Company
in New York, was appearing in a home town venue in mid- February at the
Philadelphia Opera Company, singing the role of Christian in a new opera,
Cyrano.
During most of his years at George Washington High School, Costello played
musical instruments. He didn’t go into singing until the school
play in his senior year. Apparently, that was all he needed to settle
on his life’s work.
“I knew I wanted to get into musical theater and so I enrolled at
the University of the Arts,” Costello said. Because of its Center
City location, Costello attended St. John the Evangelist Church, where
he cantored at the Sunday Masses and sang in concerts. He also sang several
times at TV-Channel 6 Sunday Masses celebrated by Cardinal Justin Rigali
and Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua.
In his senior year of college, he zeroed in on opera as his future, and
his talent was such that he was accepted at the prestigious Academy of
Vocal Arts (AVA) on Spruce Street. AVA, which is tuition-free, specializes
in developing promising young singers.
Among his classmates was the Chicago-born soprano Ailyn Pérez,
and they formed a happy duet — they will be married at St. John
Church on Sept. 6.
So far, as is the usual case with young singers, Costello’s roles
have been for the most part lyric tenor — but, his voice clearly
shows a maturity of depth. His professional debut while he was still an
AVA student, was as Rodolfo in La Boheme at the Fort Worth Opera. He’s
also sung with Opera National de Bordeaux, the Dallas Opera, the Opera
Orchestra of New York, Teatro Regio Torino, the Boston Pops and at Carnegie
Hall.
His debut at the Met was in the fall, as Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor,
and he later sang the tenor lead of Edgardo in the same production.
Future bookings include the Salzburg Festival; Deutsche Oper Berlin; the
Dallas Opera; the Lyric Opera of Chicago; Teatro Municipal in Santiago,
Chile; Opera Carolina, and Montreal Opera. Next year, he and Pérez
are scheduled to appear together in concert in London. He’ll be
back at the Philadelphia Opera Company in April 2009, when he and his
wife will be featured in Gianni Schicchi.
Meanwhile, in New York, at the request of Cardinal Edward Egan, Costello
sang at the recent Al Smith Dinner, the New York Archdiocese’s annual
charity fundraiser. Also, at the request of Cardinal Egan, he sang “O
Holy Night” at St. Patrick Cathedral’s Christmas Mass.
“Religious music and classical music go hand in hand,” said
Costello, who has sung many liturgical pieces, including oratorios.
As for the future, he hopes for a long career on the operatic stage. “I
love the performing aspect — the adventure of a live stage,”
he said. “You never know what will happen.”
One thing he does know is that his voice is a God-given gift. “I
feel blessed and I feel lucky,” he said.
Lou Baldwin is a member of St. Leo Parish and a freelance writer.
Philadelphia
Ballet presents new work set to Handel’s Messiah
By Lou Baldwin
Special to The CS&T
PHILADELPHIA — Handel’s oratorio, Messiah, the masterpiece
that celebrates the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus, is a staple
for the great liturgical seasons of Christmas and Easter.
Now, Philadelphia will see it presented in a different medium —
dance.
In its Philadelphia premiere, the Pennsylvania Ballet will present Messiah,
as created by Robert Weiss, at the Academy of Music from March 5 through
March 9.
Weiss, a former artistic director of the Pennsylvania Ballet, created
the Messiah ballet in 1998 for the Carolina Ballet in Raleigh, N.C., where
he is now artistic director.
Using music from almost the entire oratorio, the ballet consists of more
than 50 individual scenes and includes virtually every member of the ballet
company. The piece will be sung by the 24-member Philadelphia Kantoriei
chorus.
According to Pennsylvania Ballet officials, the scenery for the ballet
consists of an abstract painting of a church, divided into three sections,
with each providing a backdrop for contrasting styles of choreography..
“It is a very exhausting work,” said the ballet company’s
artistic director, Roy Kaiser. “We use about 22 dancers in each
section.”
Kaiser has known Weiss, his predecessor at the Pennsylvania Ballet, for
many years. “I respect his work — he is a strong choreographer,”
Kaiser said.
Although ballets with spiritual themes are not common, Kaiser said he
expects the Messiah to attract a varied audience: “It will attract
dance enthusiasts and it will attract people of faith.”
He added, “Tickets are selling well.” The fact that Weiss
was the ballet’s choreographer is a selling point, itself, Kaiser
said.
Recruited by George Balanchine as a dancer for the New York Ballet, for
more than 16 years Weiss performed principal roles in over 40 ballets.
He was the artistic director of the Pennsylvania Ballet for eight years,
and has created more than 20 ballets, including commissions for the American
Ballet Theater, the New York City Ballet and Philadanco, among others.
For further information, visit: www.paballet.org.
Lou Baldwin is a member of St. Leo Parish and a freelance writer.
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