Anthony Joseph Costa

Dr. Anthony J. Costa is an Associate Professor of Clarinet at Penn State, where he is also a member of The Pennsylvania Quintet, The Prestige Clarinet Quartet, and The Chihara Trio. He received the 2016 College of Arts and Architecture Faculty Award for Outstanding Teaching. Before joining Penn State, Costa taught at Otterbein College, Ashland University, and the College of Mount St. Joseph in Ohio. He also participated in Chamber Music America’s “Rural Residency Program,” working as a performer and educator in Mississippi County, Arkansas.

An experienced orchestral clarinetist, Costa has performed with several prestigious orchestras, including the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, where he played from 1999 to 2011. He currently serves as principal clarinetist for the Penn’s Woods Music Festival Orchestra and the Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra. His performance career has also involved collaborations with well-known artists such as “The Three Tenors,” Midori, Sarah Chang, and Ray Charles.

Costa is an active soloist, having performed works like Bruch’s “Double Concerto,” McAllister’s “Concerto X,” and Daugherty’s “Brooklyn Bridge.” His dedication to chamber music has taken him across the U.S. and Europe with ensembles such as The Pennsylvania Quintet, The PC2 Trio, and the Razbia Ensemble. He has appeared at events like the International Double Reed Society conference, ClarinetFest, the Midwest Clinic, and the Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium.

A champion of contemporary music, Costa has collaborated with renowned composers, including Carter Pann, John Corigliano, and Paul Chihara. He has recorded works by Rick Sowash and performed newly commissioned pieces with The Chihara Trio, which he helped establish. The trio presented a recital at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall in 2010 and is featured on Paul Chihara’s recording “Love Music.”

Costa’s students have achieved recognition in various prestigious festivals and competitions, such as the Aspen Music Festival and the International Clarinet Association’s High School Competition. His mentoring has led to students' participation in youth orchestras in Columbus, Cleveland, and Central Pennsylvania.

He holds a Bachelor of Music in music education and clarinet performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, a Master of Music in clarinet performance from Temple University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Ohio State University. His primary teachers were Carmine Campione, Anthony Gigliotti, Ronald Auffman, and James Pyne.

As an artist-clinician for Buffet-Crampon, Costa plays Buffet Tradition clarinets and a Prestige 1193 bass clarinet. He resides in Boalsburg, PA, with his wife, Robyn Dixon Costa, an oboist and Alexander Technique teacher, and their daughter Zoey.