Romola Costantino

Who was Romola Costantino?

Romola Helen Louise Costantino OBE was a noted Australian pianist, accompanist and teacher, who also worked as a music, film and theatre critic.

Romola Costantino was the daughter of Napoleone Costantino, an Italian civil servant in Australia, and his Welsh-born wife Rosamond Lindner. She studied at the NSW Conservatorium of Music under Alexander Sverjensky. She was a graduate of the Royal College of Music in London, where her graduation performance was the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini by Rachmaninoff.

She gave many broadcasts and recitals for the ABC, most notably as an accompanist for musicians such as Ruggiero Ricci and Henryk Szeryng.

Romola Costantino gave the first solo piano recital in the Sydney Opera House, and she participated in the first public performance in the Opera House's Music Room. She also formed a well known piano duo with Lance Dossor.

She was a member of the inaugural committee of the Accompanists' Guild of South Australia in 1983, and was President of the Guild from 1984 to 1986.