Michael Costa (conductor)

Michele Andrea Agniello Costa ( born February 4, 1808 in Naples, † April 29, 1884 in Hove, Sussex ) was an Italian- British composer and conductor.

Costa moved to England in 1829 and became a British citizen in 1839. In London, he was musical director since 1832 of the King 's Theatre. In 1846 he founded the Royal Italian Opera at Covent Garden and in the same year conductor of the Philharmonic Society ( his successor in 1855 Richard Wagner). From 1857 to 1880 he conducted the Handel Festivals at the Crystal Palace. From 1871 to 1881 he was conductor at Her Majesty's Theatre.

He Anglicized his name to Michael Andrew Agnus Costa and was knighted on 14 April 1868.