StephenCostello
- Tenor


About Stephen
In the 2024/25 season, Stephen will return to the Metropolitan Opera for Duca di Mantua Rigoletto and Greenhorn Moby Dick, as well as singing Romeo Romeo et Juliette at Opernhaus Zürich and the title role Don Carlo at Bayerische Staatsoper. In concert, he will perform Beethoven's Symphony no.9 with Michael Tilson Thomas and the Houston Symphony, he will sing a gala concert with Kristine Opolais in Saltillo, Mexico and a series of recitals alongside pianist Anthony Manoli with Arizona Opera.
Last season saw Costello sing Don José Carmen at Bayerische Staatsoper, Rodolfo La bohème at The Metropolitan Opera (including his 100th performance at the Met), Verdi’s Requiem at Opernhaus Zürich, Rodolfo La bohème with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra in Philadelphia and at the Vail Festival and his debut in the role of Cavaradossi in Tosca, first in concert with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and then on the stage at National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts in Taiwan.
He has appeared at many of the world’s most important opera houses and music festivals, including the Royal Opera House, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Wiener Staatsoper, Deutsche Staatsoper, Opéra national de Paris, Bayerische Staatsoper, Hamburgische Staatsoper, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Semperoper Dresden, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera, Bolshoi Theatre Moscow, Arena di Verona, Salzburger Festspiele, Bregenzer Festspiele, and Glyndebourne Festival.
Contact

Mark Hildrew

Angelica Conner

Seb Mallet
Representation
Season Highlights
Video
- Playing
Stephen Costello sings Don Sebastiano's aria at Konzerthaus Berlin
Stephen Costello sings “Deserto in terra” from the Donizetti's “Dom Sébastien, roi de Portugal" in the Rebuild Ukraine Gala at the Konzerthaus Berlin Credit: Deutsche Welle
Stephen Costello sings Rodolfo at the Met
Stephen Costello sings Rodolfo's aria "Che gelida manina" from Puccini's La bohème at the Metropolitan Opera in April 2023, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Credit: Metropolitan Opera
Stephen Costello sings Alfredo at the Met
Stephen Costello sings Alfredo's aria “De’ miei bollenti spiriti” from Verdi's La Traviata at the Metropolitan Opera in November 2022, conducted by Daniele Callegari. Credit: Metropolitan Opera
Stephen Costello sings Don Jose in Hannover
Stephen Costello sings Don Jose's aria "La fleur que tu m'avais jetée" from Bizet's Carmen in Hannover in August 2021. Credit: Jose Juan Guerrero
Selected Repertoire
Beethoven
Symphony no.9 in D-minor
Bizet
Carmen (Don José)
Delibes
Lakme (Gerald)
Donizetti
Anna Bolena (Percy) • La Favorite (Fernando) • Linda di Chamounix (Visconte di Sirval) • Lucia di Lammermoor (Edgardo) • Maria Stuarda (Leicester) • Roberto Devereux (title role)
Gounod
Faust (title role) • Roméo et Juliette (Roméo)
Heggie
Moby-Dick (Greenhorn)
Lehár
The Merry Widow (Camille de Rosillon)
Mascagni
L’Amico Fritz (Fritz Kobus)
Massenet
Manon (Le Chevalier des Grieux)
Puccini
La bohème (Rodolfo) • Madama Butterfly (B.F. Pinkerton) • Tosca (Cavaradossi*)
Szymanowski
King Roger (Shepherd)
Tchaikovsky
Eugene Onegin (Lensky)
Verdi
Un ballo in maschera (Riccardo) • Don Carlo (title role) • Ernani (title role) • Rigoletto (Il Duca di Mantova) • La Traviata (Alfredo)
Verdi
Messa da Requiem
News
Press
Moby Dick
Metropolitan OperaMar 2025The 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 OperaOct 2023 - Nov 2023Seemingly 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 ZürichFeb 2023 - Mar 2023Das 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 StaatsoperSep 2022 - Oct 2022Der 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