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Born: May 13, 1935 - Jessup, Pennsylvania, USA
Died: October 6, 2024 - Annapolis, Maryland, USA |
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The Amercian lyric baritone and music teacher, Dominic Cossa, studied with Anthony Marlowe in Detroit, Michigan, Robert Weede in Concord, California, and Armen Boyajian in New York City.
Dominic Cossa made his debut at the New York City Opera as Morales in 1961, and a week later sang Sharpless with the company. He won the American Opera Auditions in 1964 and was sent to Italy for debuts at the Teatro Nuovo in Milan and Teatro della Pergola in Florence. He made his debut at the San Francisco Opera in 1967 as Zurga in Les pêcheurs de perles. His Metropolitan Opera debut took place on January 30, 1970 as Silvio in Pagliacci. Other roles there were Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Lescaut in Manon Lescaut, Marcello in La bohème, Mercutio in Charles Gounod's Romeo and Juliette, Masetto in W.A. Mozart's Don Giovanni, Valentin in C. Gounod's Faust, Yeletsky in Pique Dame, Germont in La traviata, and Albert in Werther. In 1976 he created the role of David Murphy in the world premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti's The Hero with the Opera Company of Philadelphia. He was described in the words of The New Yorker, "possesses one of the most beautiful baritone voices you are likely to come across anywhere". He is particularly associated with the Italian and French repertoire.
Donic Cossa's left a few notable recordings of his best roles such as Belcore in L'elisir d'amore opposite Dame Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti, Achillas in George Frideric Handel's Giulio Cesare opposite Norman Treigle and Beverly Sills, Nevers in Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots, again opposite Joan Sutherland, Martina Arroyo and Huguette Tourangeau, and the baritone solo part in Roger Sessions' When Lilacs Last on the Dooryard Bloom'd. He can also be heard on the Classical Record Library's A Celebration of Schumann and Schubert with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
Dominic Cossa saung as soloist with such orchestras as the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and National Symphony Orchestra.
Dominic Cossa was chosen by Licia Albanese to be the recipient of the Puccini Foundation's Bacccarat Award in 2004, and in 1993 was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Great American Singers at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia.
Donic Cossa taught at the Manhattan School of Music and in 1988 he accepted a position as Professor of Music at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he became chair of Voice/Opera. |
