Dominic Cossa, Emeritus Professor of Voice and Opera, Dies at 89

The renowned lyric baritone is remembered for his compassion and storytelling

By TJ Wagman ’20

Dominic Cossa, a renowned operatic lyric baritone and University of Maryland emeritus professor in the School of Music (SOM), passed away October 6 at age 89.

Cossa spent nearly three decades on the SOM faculty, during which time he served as the chair for the Voice & Opera division. He retired in 2017.

“He was the wisest and most trustworthy colleague I have ever known—observant, kind, witty and patient,” said Professor Emeritus Edward Maclary. “Over two decades of friendship he taught me so much and made me smile each day. I am forever grateful.”

Raised in the small coal mining town of Jessup, Pennsylvania, Cossa’s earliest encounters with singing came in response to the stutter he had as a young child. His parents, Italian immigrants with a penchant for music, noticed that Cossa did not stutter when he was singing. Their family doctor suggested that they sing everyday phrases together to combat the stutter, which is when Cossa discovered that singing was more than just a form of entertainment; it was a method of communication.

Cossa’s parents surrounded him and his sisters with music. His father, who taught himself the clarinet, played with a local coal miner band. Inspired by his father, Cossa initially studied the clarinet with a teacher, but continued singing throughout his childhood.

Despite his musical upbringing, Cossa did not start thinking about a musical career until his senior year of college, when he was already in the last year of a degree in psychology. He moved to Detroit shortly after graduation to pursue a master’s of psychology, where he started to study voice and began participating in local competitions.

At the age of 25, Cossa auditioned for the New York City Opera on a whim while visiting the city. He was offered a contract on the spot. After completing his studies, Cossa and his wife, Janet, moved to New York City, which would be their home for the next 35 years.

While the majority of Cossa’s performances happened on the stage of the New York City Opera, he performed across the globe, including at notable venues such as Teatro della Pergola, the San Francisco Opera and the Opéra de Montréal. He also performed as a feature soloist with a number of premiere orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony and Chicago Symphony.

During his storied career, Cossa performed notable roles including Marcello in La bohème, Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette and Valentin in Faust.  Perhaps the most pivotal role, Giorgio Germont in La traviata, came for the first time when he was just 26 years old. Cossa credited this role with opening the door to his success, leading to numerous opportunities. One such moment came when the director of the Vancouver Opera heard him in Montreal and immediately offered him a role opposite Dame Jones Sutherland.

In addition to Sutherland, Cossa collaborated with some of the greatest operatic singers of his time, sharing the stage with John Alexander, Beverly Sills, Luciano Pavaratti and more.

Cossa joined the SOM faculty in 1988 after previously serving at the Manhattan School of Music. During his time at UMD, he mentored numerous students and taught opera repertoire classes.

“Dominic represents an era of singing that is quickly disappearing today and one that was directly connected to the most influential, important and long standing composers and performers in opera,” said Arts for All Director and Professor of Voice & Opera Craig Kier. “His students currently perform on the greatest opera stages throughout the world, teach in university programs and public schools and are infused in countless other areas of our artistic ecosystem, providing links to an unforgettable era of storytelling through singing.”

Cossa's colleagues remember him as not only a powerhouse performer and teacher but also a brilliant storyteller with a sharp sense of humor. Professor of Voice and Opera Gran Wilson, who worked and performed alongside Cossa for many years, shared a memorable moment that captured the lyric baritone's wit.

"One day, just as I was about to leave for a gig, I woke up with a cold," Wilson recalled. "I ran into Dom at school and started complaining about my bad luck. He looked me straight in the eye and said, 'You know, I haven’t had a cold in 20 years.' Curious, I asked him how he managed that. Without missing a beat, he grinned and said, 'Quit singing!'" Wilson added, "I still think about that every time I feel a cold coming on—it never fails to make me laugh."

In a video celebrating his retirement in 2017, student Rebecca Bell Echols D.M.A. ’17 said, “Dominic was so inspirational in getting me through my doctoral work and my dissertation. It was his spirit, his compassion and his motivation that kept me going through my toughest days.”

Others noted that Cossa, “made the learning experience a joyful experience,” and that he was always “approachable and affable” in his teaching and lessons.

“We remember Dominic as an inspiring mentor who shared his passion and expertise with warmth and joy,” said Kier, “his legacy lives on through his family, students, colleagues and the countless lives he touched with his music. We’re so lucky to have benefited from being part of his world.”

In honor of Cossa’s lifelong dedication to the arts, his family requests that donations be made to the Dominic Cossa Endowed Scholarship for Opera, which was established in 2017 to support students in the Maryland Opera Studio. For further inquiry, please contact David Robinson-Slemp, associate director of development at (301) 405-4623 or drslemp1@umd.edu.