Anthony Roth Costanzo, General Director & President, Opera Philadelphia

In an interview with Invest:, Anthony Roth Costanzo, general director and president of Opera Philadelphia, said that accessibility, innovation, and community engagement are redefining the future of opera. “It proves that art is a civic right, not a luxury,” he said, emphasizing the importance of making opera available to diverse audiences and embedding it more deeply into the cultural fabric of the city.

What have been some significant milestones and achievements for Opera Philadelphia during your first year in this role?

One of the accomplishments I’m most proud of is that when I started, we had sold only 30% of our tickets for the season. I launched a program called “Pick Your Price,” which was truly revolutionary. Every ticket, for every show, in every seat, was available for just $11 — or more if someone chose to pay more. This initiative made Opera Philadelphia the only opera company in America with an entirely sold-out season. Philadelphia now holds the distinction of having the only opera company in the country with that success. Beyond that, we’ve expanded access, diversifying our audience across all demographics. It proves that art is a civic right, not a luxury, and that’s incredibly important.

You might ask, “Why opera?” It often seems like such an elitist art form, given its history and the perceptions around it. But opera is, at its core, about collaboration and expression. It’s always been a collision of disciplines: music, theater, poetry, fashion, art, dance, and even technology. We want Opera Philadelphia to be a place where everyone can come together and collectively experience performances that bring meaning to life, that are both fun and thought-provoking, offering perspective on the chaotic world around us. Opera has a uniquely cathartic power, and now, with $11 tickets, you don’t have to risk $150 to find out if you love it. You can take a chance and have the cheapest — and possibly most memorable — date night around.

How would you describe the current landscape for opera and performing arts organizations, and how is Opera Philadelphia working to stay at the forefront?

Part of the reason I joined Opera Philadelphia was because it was already recognized as one of the most innovative opera companies in the country. As we were brainstorming the tagline for our 2025–2026 season — our 50th anniversary season — I proposed “Opera, but different.” That phrase captures our commitment to innovation, which has been a hallmark of Opera Philadelphia while honoring the tradition that makes opera so powerful.

Opera is a time-honored musical tradition and an Olympic feat of performance. Many people don’t realize that there are no microphones at the opera — it’s entirely acoustic. It’s a very raw and direct form of communication.

Next season, we’ll present everything from Western classical composers like Vivaldi to new works by artists outside the traditional opera world, such as Pulitzer Prize winner Michael R. Jackson and MacArthur Fellow Sarah Ruhl. We’re even partnering with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to create a carbon-neutral set made entirely from dish soap. We’re collaborating with institutions in Philadelphia and across the country to rethink what’s possible, embracing the collaborative spirit that opera has always embodied.

What audiences will see at Opera Philadelphia is unlike anything else in the opera world. Our success with “Pick Your Price” demonstrated that. Not only did we see 67% first-time ticket buyers, but we also sold tickets in 34 states, turning Opera Philadelphia into a national destination. That brings tangible benefits to local commerce — restaurants, hotels, and more. When it becomes cheaper to travel to Philadelphia for the opera than to attend in your hometown, it transforms the city’s cultural and economic landscape.

I’m working to embed opera deeply into the fabric of Philadelphia’s community life, making it feel connected to the cultural zeitgeist rather than isolated from it.

As someone who is both an executive and a performer, how does your dual perspective influence the work you’re doing with the company?

Being an artist inherently requires constant creative problem-solving, not just in the work itself, but in how you fund it, deliver it, and connect it with audiences. Having that mindset as a leader allows me to approach everything creatively, from fundraising to finance, from community initiatives to HR. It creates a more inventive and holistic culture within the company.

You can see this reflected in the strategic and structural changes we’re implementing to ensure Opera Philadelphia remains sustainable well into the future. We’re using the momentum of our 50th anniversary to build a model for how opera can thrive within a city and coexist with the surrounding culture.

Also, being an active artist in the prime of my career — not at the tail end — helps me stay deeply connected to my colleagues, audiences, and investors. It keeps me grounded in the present while looking ahead to the future of this incredible art form.

Could you expand a bit on the work you’re doing around community engagement and expanding access?

Community engagement is a crucial part of our mission. Veronica Chapman-Smith, who leads our community initiatives, has done tremendous work, particularly in education and in making information about opera more accessible.

We offer thousands of free dress rehearsal tickets to school students. We also have a program called “Backstage Pass,” which introduces teenagers to all the careers available in opera—not just onstage, but behind the scenes too.

Another program we’re developing focuses on helping young people discover and use their voices. The human voice is both a musical instrument and an allegory for identity, and nurturing that from a young age is vital. We spend a lot of time thinking about how to empower people through voice, identity, and expression.

What do you see as the key opportunities for Opera Philadelphia to continue strengthening community ties and exporting your innovative model even further?

I want to push the idea of collaboration as far as it can go. How many partners can we bring in? How can we bring opera into new spaces and, in turn, bring new audiences into the Opera House?

It’s about making people feel welcome, representing their perspectives on our stages, and fostering thoughtful dialogue with the community and our stakeholders.

Progress can be slow, but it’s important to me that we move quickly and nimbly. Opera Philadelphia has already been making sweeping changes at a fast pace, and I want the impact of that momentum to ripple outward — into our community, our government, and the corporations around us.

How can we be part of solving bigger civic problems? How can we contribute to the vitality of our city in unexpected ways?

Moving forward, it’s essential that Opera Philadelphia not feel like a relic of the past, but instead a living, breathing call to action and engagement.