Mario Pasquale Costa, nome d'arte di Pasquale Antonio Cataldo Maria Costa, was an Italian tenor, composer, and author of songs and operas. Costas family moved to Naples in 1865, and he studied at the Conservatory with Saverio Mercadante. His first composition dates from 1871, Costa worked then over 60 years as a composer of operettas, duets, anthems, marches, etc. worked. The Neapolitan folk music was enriched by Costa thanks to "classics" such as Era de Maggio (1885), Scetate (1887) Lariulà (1888), Catari (1892) and Serenata napulitana (1897).