Stephen Costello Makes Met Role Debut in LA TRAVIATA Tonight

Tucker Award-winning tenor Stephen Costello returns to New York's Metropolitan Opera this Thursday (Dec 11) to make his house role debut as Alfredo in La traviata, when he gives the first of five performances in Willy Decker's celebrated production. Costello has already sung Verdi's hero in high-profile productions on both sides of the Atlantic. This summer, his performances of the role at San Francisco Opera included a simulcast in the company's Opera in the Ballpark series, which was attended by an audience of more than 25,000 people.

Costello comments: "I'm extremely excited to be singing Verdi for the first time at the Met. So many of the tenors that have inspired me have sung Verdi there, including the legendary Richard Tucker, and it's amazing to think of myself following in such footsteps. I'm also very happy to be singing with Marina Rebeka, our Violetta, both at the Met and later this season at the Vienna State Opera. Our Germont at the Met will be Ludovic Tézier, whom I greatly admire and enjoyed working with on our recording of Donizetti's Linda di Chamounix. And of course it's great to be singing again at the Met with conductor Marco Armiliato."

A spring production of La traviata at London's Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, also featured Costello in the company's first live stream of a complete opera, part of the BP Big Screens 2014 initiative that included streaming not only in public squares and parks around the UK but worldwide. That performance led the Daily Express to marvel,

"Costello brought real depth to the part. This young American has risen rapidly to claim a place among the world's best tenors and recent performances show that he has the acting abilities to match his wonderfully smooth and powerful voice."

Costello's history at the Metropolitan Opera has included multiple opening-night productions. In fall 2011, just days before his 30th birthday, he performed the role of Lord Percy in the company's first production of Donizetti's Anna Bolena, with Anna Netrebko in the title role. According to the New York Post, Costello sounded "fresh and virile" in the role, while the New York Times noted that he "won a hearty ovation" with his "impetuous and anguished singing."

Following house debuts at Austin Lyric Opera and Genoa's Teatro Carlo Felice, and a reprise of Alfredo at the Vienna State Opera, Costello returns to the Met this spring to make his second house role debut of the season, when he takes on the role of Camille in a new all-star treatment of Lehár's The Merry Widow (Apr 24-May 7). Meanwhile the tenor has also found time to introduce a new blog designed to provide advice, encouragement, and inspiration to young singers; his second post, available here, is a Q & A with British baritone Simon Keenlyside.

Stephen Costello: upcoming engagements:

Dec 11, 16, 19, 22, 27

New York, NY

Metropolitan Opera

Verdi: La traviata (Alfredo)

Jan 24, 29; Feb 1

Austin, TX

Austin Lyric Opera

Gounod: Roméo et Juliette (Roméo)

Feb 21, 22, 24, 27, 28; March 1

Genoa, Italy

Teatro Carlo Felice

Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (Edgardo)

March 12, 15, 18, 21

Vienna, Austria

Vienna State Opera

Verdi: La traviata (Alfredo)

April 24, 27, 30; May 7

New York, NY

Metropolitan Opera

Lehár: The Merry Widow (Camille)

June 13, 19, 23, 28, 30

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco Opera

Marco Tutino: Two Women ("La Ciociara") (Michele; world premiere)

For more information, visit stephencostellotenor.com, or follow www.facebook.com/StephenCostelloTenor and twitter.com/costellotenor.

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