Stephen Costello Wins the 2009 Richard Tucker Award! 04-16-2009 The Opera Company of Philadelphia congratulates tenor Stephen Costello, proud alumnus of Philadelphia's own Academy of Vocal Arts, who has just been named winner of the 2009 Richard Tucker Award. Mr. Costello was notified of the award, which is conferred annually by the Richard Tucker Music Foundation to a single artist who has reached a high level of artistic accomplishment and who, in the opinion of a conferral panel, is on the threshold of a major international career, on April 15th by Barry Tucker, son of the late, legendary tenor. Mr. Costello, a native of Northeast Philadelphia who attended George Washington High School and the University of the Arts prior to his acceptance at the Academy of Vocal Arts, one of the country's most prestigious vocal training grounds, is currently singing the role of Rinuccio in the Opera Company of Philadelphia's Gianni Schicchi, which runs April 24 - May 3 at the Academy of Music. He stars beside his real-life wife and fellow AVA graduate Ailyn Pérez, an accomplished soprano who is also beginning an international career. The pair recently performed opposite each other in the leading roles of Michigan Opera Theatre's The Elixir of Love, and are pleased to return to Philadelphia this month where they make their home among friends and family. Real-life spouses - and AVA graduates - tenor Stephen Costello and soprano Ailyn Pérez in Michigan Opera Theatre's The Elixir of Love last month. They return together as Rinuccio and Lauretta in the Opera Company of Philadelphia'sGianni Schicchi from April 24 - May 3. Photo by John Grigaitis. Described as the “Heisman Trophy of Opera,” the Richard Tucker Award carries with it a cash prize of $30,000, and is chosen by a distinguished panel of opera professionals. Named in honor of the great American tenor, the Richard Tucker Award has been given since 1978 and previous recipients read like a star roster to the opera world, including Renée Fleming, Deborah Voigt, David Daniels, Stephanie Blythe, Joyce DiDonato, Christine Goerke, Matthew Polenzani, and Lawrence Brownlee. Barry Tucker, President of the Richard Tucker Music Foundation, said “We are really thrilled to give this award to Stephen, who is blessed with a wonderful voice, charisma, and real musical artistry and imagination. I know he will make the Foundation very proud as he makes his career.” Mr. Costello's career skyrocketed in 2007 when he made his Metropolitan Opera debut in the season opening production of Lucia di Lammermoor. Singing the supporting role of Arturo, he was hailed for a "solid Met debut" by The New York Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer praised the performance, saying "his tenor voice unfurled as though it had found its true home." He was subsequently asked by Metropolitan Opera Music Director James Levine to step into the leading role of Edgardo for a performance later in the run. With leading roles at Deutsche Oper Berlin, Dallas Opera and the Salzburg Festival with Maestro Riccardo Muti under his belt, the tenor's upcoming calendar is filled with engagements on the world's most prestigious opera stages. Already planned are his debut at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden to open the 2009-2010 Season, a return to the Metropolitan Opera, and debuts with Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, the Glyndebourne Festival and Wiener Staatsoper. He takes on the role of Ishmael in the world premiere of Jake Heggie's Moby Dick to open the new opera house for Dallas Opera, and he returns to the Opera Company of Philadelphia in a leading role in the 2010-2011 Season. While at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, Mr. Costello performed such roles as Rodolfo in La Bohème, Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, Ferrando in Così fan tutte and the Duke in Rigoletto. He made his Opera Orchestra of New York debut in Guillaume Tell and his professional stage debut as Rodolfo with Fort Worth Opera. He won First Prize in the 2006 George London Foundation Competition and First Prize in the Albanese Foundation Competition. Mr. Costello was the winner of a 2006 Sara Tucker Study Grant and a 2007 Richard Tucker Career Grant. Read the Philadelphia Inquirer's coverage of this award! Read an article from yesterday's Northeast Times on Stephen Costello! Learn more about Gianni Schicchi. Read Stephen Costello's professional biography. Learn more about the Academy of Vocal Arts. The Richard Tucker Music Foundation, founded in 1975, is a non-profit cultural organization dedicated to perpetuating the artistic legacy of the great American tenor through the support and advancement of the careers of talented American opera singers by bringing opera into the community. The Foundation seeks to heighten appreciation for opera by offering free performances in New York Metropolitan area and by supporting music education enrichment programs. To learn more about the Richard Tucker Foundation, visit www.richardtucker.org
The Opera Company of Philadelphia congratulates tenor Stephen Costello, proud alumnus of Philadelphia's own Academy of Vocal Arts, who has just been named winner of the 2009 Richard Tucker Award. Mr. Costello was notified of the award, which is conferred annually by the Richard Tucker Music Foundation to a single artist who has reached a high level of artistic accomplishment and who, in the opinion of a conferral panel, is on the threshold of a major international career, on April 15th by Barry Tucker, son of the late, legendary tenor.
Mr. Costello, a native of Northeast Philadelphia who attended George Washington High School and the University of the Arts prior to his acceptance at the Academy of Vocal Arts, one of the country's most prestigious vocal training grounds, is currently singing the role of Rinuccio in the Opera Company of Philadelphia's Gianni Schicchi, which runs April 24 - May 3 at the Academy of Music. He stars beside his real-life wife and fellow AVA graduate Ailyn Pérez, an accomplished soprano who is also beginning an international career. The pair recently performed opposite each other in the leading roles of Michigan Opera Theatre's The Elixir of Love, and are pleased to return to Philadelphia this month where they make their home among friends and family.
Real-life spouses - and AVA graduates - tenor Stephen Costello and soprano Ailyn Pérez in Michigan Opera Theatre's The Elixir of Love last month. They return together as Rinuccio and Lauretta in the Opera Company of Philadelphia'sGianni Schicchi from April 24 - May 3. Photo by John Grigaitis.
Described as the “Heisman Trophy of Opera,” the Richard Tucker Award carries with it a cash prize of $30,000, and is chosen by a distinguished panel of opera professionals. Named in honor of the great American tenor, the Richard Tucker Award has been given since 1978 and previous recipients read like a star roster to the opera world, including Renée Fleming, Deborah Voigt, David Daniels, Stephanie Blythe, Joyce DiDonato, Christine Goerke, Matthew Polenzani, and Lawrence Brownlee.
Barry Tucker, President of the Richard Tucker Music Foundation, said “We are really thrilled to give this award to Stephen, who is blessed with a wonderful voice, charisma, and real musical artistry and imagination. I know he will make the Foundation very proud as he makes his career.”
Mr. Costello's career skyrocketed in 2007 when he made his Metropolitan Opera debut in the season opening production of Lucia di Lammermoor. Singing the supporting role of Arturo, he was hailed for a "solid Met debut" by The New York Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer praised the performance, saying "his tenor voice unfurled as though it had found its true home." He was subsequently asked by Metropolitan Opera Music Director James Levine to step into the leading role of Edgardo for a performance later in the run. With leading roles at Deutsche Oper Berlin, Dallas Opera and the Salzburg Festival with Maestro Riccardo Muti under his belt, the tenor's upcoming calendar is filled with engagements on the world's most prestigious opera stages. Already planned are his debut at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden to open the 2009-2010 Season, a return to the Metropolitan Opera, and debuts with Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, the Glyndebourne Festival and Wiener Staatsoper. He takes on the role of Ishmael in the world premiere of Jake Heggie's Moby Dick to open the new opera house for Dallas Opera, and he returns to the Opera Company of Philadelphia in a leading role in the 2010-2011 Season.
While at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, Mr. Costello performed such roles as Rodolfo in La Bohème, Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, Ferrando in Così fan tutte and the Duke in Rigoletto. He made his Opera Orchestra of New York debut in Guillaume Tell and his professional stage debut as Rodolfo with Fort Worth Opera. He won First Prize in the 2006 George London Foundation Competition and First Prize in the Albanese Foundation Competition. Mr. Costello was the winner of a 2006 Sara Tucker Study Grant and a 2007 Richard Tucker Career Grant.
Read an article from yesterday's Northeast Times on Stephen Costello!
Learn more about Gianni Schicchi.
Read Stephen Costello's professional biography.
Learn more about the Academy of Vocal Arts.
The Richard Tucker Music Foundation, founded in 1975, is a non-profit cultural organization dedicated to perpetuating the artistic legacy of the great American tenor through the support and advancement of the careers of talented American opera singers by bringing opera into the community. The Foundation seeks to heighten appreciation for opera by offering free performances in New York Metropolitan area and by supporting music education enrichment programs. To learn more about the Richard Tucker Foundation, visit www.richardtucker.org
