„good work“

I know of your good work for the Concurso in Ferrol has been very estimated by the members of the orchestra and by the own Contest, so we are looking forward you stay her during the Ameriaca Program.

Antoni Ros Marba, Chief Conductor Real Filharmonia de Galicia

„He is not only a first rate conductor“

By way of introduction, my name is Edicson Ruiz and I am a member of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra as a Kontrabass player. I am the youngest member in the history of this orchestra, a position I won when I was 17yrs. old. Should you wish to know more about me ,you will find my CV under Google.

I have had the pleasure of closely working with Maestro William-Michael Costello over the past 2yrs. Maestro Costello coached me for the world premier of the Kontrabass Concerto of Arturo Pantaleon Mendoza, a composition student of Maestro Costello's, which I premiered in July, 2004 in Caracas, Venezuela. In January on 2005 I was a soloist with Maestro Costello in Lisbon, Portugal, playing the Koussevitsky Concerto with the Orquesta Metropolitana de Lisboa. Maestro Costello is a conductor who demands the highest quality of playing from an ensemble, improves the playing of an orchestra with patience, humour and as we say, without shedding blood. Although I have played the Koussevitsky many times over, it was Maestro Costello who made the corrections in the partitur which all previous conductors had overlooked. The orchestra was enthralled with his work and needless to say, our 2 concerts were received with bravos and standing ovations. Our concert was such a success that solo members of the Berliner Philharmoniker have expressed their wish to perform with him in the coming seasons. After our first concert the management of the OML asked him to come back to conduct the Beethoven 9`h. in celebration of 25yrs. of Portugal's membership in the Common Market. I highly recommend him for any position as a music director or guest conductor. He is not only a first rate conductor, he is also a teacher with the uncanny ability to inspire, encourage and improve the musicians with whom he works. Sould have any farther enquiries, please feel free to contact me at the Philharmonie.

Edicson Ruiz, Contrabass, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

„... very gifted and prolific conductor ...“

One aspect of my work as the Repertoire Manager of Deutsche Grammophon from 1978 until my retirement in 1993, was being aware of the younger, talented musicians, who would be the next generation before the public. It was in this capacity that the very gifted and prolific conductor, William Costello came to my attention. What quickly impressed me was his way of quickly establishing a rapport with the orchestra he worked with, his keen analytical insight into a given score and his very convincing interpretative abilities in works of contrasting styles and periods. William Costello would doubtless be a great asset to any orchestra he is associated with.

Alfred Kaine, Repertoire Manager i.R. Deutsche Grammophon

„William is a refreshing combination“

In this age of superficiality, when conductors and soloists often seem to benefit more from their visual appeal than from what they actually have to offer as thinking musicians, William is a refreshing combination: a true music scholar, an enthusiastic communicator, with great physical talents as a conductor, equally at home with large symphony and choral master works, chamber orchestra repertoire, and small contemporary ensemble compositions.

Ronan Lefkowitz, Boston Symphony Orchestra, first violinist of the Hawthorne String Quartett

„very high results from the ensembles he has worked with“

The conductor William-Michael Costello has been woking with me for several years now in my capacity as music director of the RSB.

Mr. Costello has proven himself as a very knowledgeable musician who as an orchestra trainer has obtained very high results from the ensembles he has worked with. His guest conducting appearances have been highly praised by critics and orchestras alike.

I find it only fitting to state that as a music director or guest conductor, orchestras and their public can profit immensely from his work. His open and honest approach has endeared him to many an ensemble. See Original Letter here.

Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, G.M.D. of Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Deutschen Oper Berlin and Wiener Symphoniker

„superb sensitivity“

He is highly sensitive towards structural shape and arrangement. His precise signs have to be emphasized especially. This is partly the guarantee for a productive and efficient (if necessary even educational) work with the musicians.

Nikolai Badinski, European Academy for Art, Science and Literature, Paris

„a remarkably sensitive accompanist“

Mr. Costello and I collaborated extensively when I served as concertmaster of the Sinfonia Chamber Orchestra of Boston, a group that Mr. Costello founded and directed for several years. In the performance of Vivaldi’s „Seasons“, Mozart’s A-major Violin Concerto (K. 219) and Sinfonie Concertante (K. 364), and Beethoven’s Triple Concerto in which I was the violin soloist, Mr. Costello proved to be a remarkably sensitive accompanist. Indeed, while Mr. Costello can be a real showman on the podium, I have always been most impressed by his ability to control an ensemble charged with the difficult task of accompanying a soloist or group of soloists. His impeccable sense for orchestral balance and texture makes him an ideal collaborator.

John Daverio, Chairman, Departement of Musicology, Boston University School for the Arts, Author of „Nineteenth-Century Music and the German Romantic Ideology“ und „Robert Schumann: Herald of a New Poetic Age“

„a pleasure to play under your conducting“

I am sending You this letter to thank You very much the help and courage You transmitted to all of us, and the work You did with the orchestra; (…)

It was a pleasure to play under your conducting, and all the thins You told me about my playing helped me a lot.

Javier Alonso Sota, Solo Timpanist Bilbao Symphony Orchester