Press

• Moby Dick

  Metropolitan Opera

  Mar 2025

  • The only Met cast member who has been with the opera from the beginning is tenor Stephen Costello, who gives one of the performances of his career as Greenhorn/Ishmael in this opera.

    • Financial Times
    • 04 March 2025

  • Speaking of great instruments, Stephen Costello had a stellar night. From the offset, his voice had a purity to it, an elegance in its phrasing. He was a perfect contrast to Ahab’s rugged and abrasive nature, vocally embodying an innocent man. It was also a perfect complement to the roughed edge in Ryan Speedo Green’s bass-baritone. Somehow, the two men managed to blend their instruments beautifully in their duets, adding to the unity of their burgeoning friendship. Costello gets a number of arias throughout the opera, but by far his most impassioned moment came after the death of his friend, the voice pushed to the opposite extremes. From gentle whimpers of sadness to full-on explosions of sound to express the character’s confusion and pain. The tenor was at his most dynamic here. The opera ends with Greenhorn being rescued at sea. In these final moments, the character’s line is as delicate as it gets. You could feel the lament, the sense of loss encountered throughout the opera in his soft delivery. A true tour-de-force interpretation for the tenor.

    • Opera Wire
    • 04 March 2025

  • Also impressive was the tenor Stephen Costello, who originated the role of the innocent Greenhorn at the opera’s premiere. Fifteen years later his lyric tenor has grown and now has a clarion power while maintaining a youthful freshness.

    • The Times
    • 04 March 2025

• La bohème

  Metropolitan Opera

  Oct 2023 - Nov 2023

  • Seemingly earnest by nature, Costello is a serious Rodolfo. The tenor was in particularly fine voice for this performance, singing with exceptional elasticity and emotion. The ease with which he caressed and then lingered on the climatic phrase of “Che gelida manina” was particularly impressive.

    • New York Classical Review
    • 07 November 2023

• Roberto Devereux

  Operhaus Zürich

  Feb 2023 - Mar 2023

  • Das Opernhaus Zürich hatte die Titelrolle mit dem herausragenden Stephen Costello besetzt, der mit sicherem, elegant geführten, warmen Tenor und strahlenden Höhen voller Schmelz als Graf von Essex begeistert. So gelang es ihm, in seiner Cabaletta  «Bagnato il sen di lagrime» zutiefst zu berühren und nachhaltig Eindruck zu hinterlassen. [Translated] The Zurich Opera House had cast the title role with the outstanding Stephen Costello, who thrilled as the Count of Essex with a confident, elegantly led, warm tenor and radiant heights full of melody. Thus, he succeeded in his cabaletta "Bagnato il sen di lagrime" to touch deeply and leaving a lasting impression.

    • Opera Gazet
    • 08 February 2023

  • Stephen Costello in der Titelrolle besitzt eine wunderschön gerundete, in allen Lagen gleichmässig sauber anspringende Tenorstimme. Er gestaltet den jugendlichen Sturm und Drang des Abenteurers Deveureux energiegeladen, gibt die Hoffnung auf seine Errettung durch die Begnadigung der Königin selbst nach blutigsten Torturen im Kerker nicht auf. [Translated] Stephen Costello in the title role possesses a beautifully rounded tenor voice that is consistently clean in all registers. He energetically shapes the youthful eagerness of the adventurer Deveureux, never giving up hope for his salvation through the Queen's pardon, even after the bloodiest tortures in the dungeon.

    • Oper Aktuell
    • 05 February 2023

  • In der Rolle des Roberto konnte man den amerikanische Tenor Stephen Costello erleben, der mit kräftiger und sicherer Stimme einen überzeugenden Aufritt bot und besonders in der Schlussszene mit der Arie „Come uno spirto angelico“ einen hervorragenden Eindruck hinterliess. Zurecht wurde er durch das Publikum mit viel Applaus belohnt. [Translated] In the role of Roberto one could experience the American tenor Stephen Costello, who offered a convincing performance with a powerful and confident voice and left an excellent impression especially in the final scene with the aria "Come uno spirto angelico". He was rightly rewarded by the audience with much applause.

    • Opern Magazin
    • 06 February 2023

• Don Carlo

  Bayerische Staatsoper

  Sep 2022 - Oct 2022

  • Der Amerikaner Stephen Costello überzeugt mit einer kraftvollen einfühlsamen Umsetzung in der Titelrolle. Sein Don Carlo ist geprägt von Emotionen, Leid und Ausweglosigkeit, der er sich wenig rebellisch unterwirft. Dabei folgt sein Tenor mühelos in allen Lagen und wärmt mit vollem hellen Timbre. [Translated] The American Stephen Costello convinces with a powerful empathetic implementation in the title role. His Don Carlo is characterized by emotions, suffering and hopelessness, to which he submits little rebellious. His tenor follows effortlessly in all positions and warms with full bright timbre.

    • Opera Online
    • 30 September 2022