ARC de triomphe

Opera Philadelphia confirms reports that countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo will serve as its next General Director and President, taking the place of the dearly departing David Devan.

Roth Costanzo intends to maintain his performing career alongside his new administrative responsibilities.

Philadelphia correspondent David Fox:

What strikes me most here is that I imagined Opera Philadelphia – grappling as so many cultural institutions are with financial uncertainty – might look to an experienced, “safe” leader. Instead, with ARC they’ve made an audacious, glamorous, wild-card choice. It affirms the company’s confidence in David Devan’s vision for Festival O’s admixture of traditional opera placed alongside contemporary genre-defying work (and also, refreshingly, the company’s commitment to a positive, visible sense of queerness). At the same time, Devan himself is gone—and the residual costs related to Festival O remain a major issue. Ironically, I see this choice as both a tribute to him, and a need to move to the next step. To be continued!

More information available on Opera Philadelphia’s website.

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