The South African Baritone Jaco Venter studied in Pretoria, London and San Francisco, where he sang roles like Mozarts Don Giovanni,
Guglielmo in Cosi fan Tutte, Ping in Puccini´s Turandot and John Proctor from Robert Ward´s „The Crucible“ as well as Oratorios like
Bach´s „B Minor Mass“ in Los Angeles and the „Magnificat“. Mr Venter made his German Debut in Pforzheim as Germont in Verdi´s
„La Traviata“ where he was also enjoyed as La Bete in Phillip Glass´s „La Belle et La Bete“, Nick Shadow in Strawinski´s „The Rakes
Progress“ as well as Verdi´s Rigoletto. From 2004 to 2011 he was member of the ensemle in the National
theater Mannheim where he debuted as the title role in Verdi´s Simon Boccanegra and then built an impressive repertoire in numerous
languages and styles. From Escamillo in Bizet´s Carmen to Rangoni in Mussorgkski´s Boris Godunof, from Peter in Humperdinck´s Hänsel und Gretel to Starek in Janacek´s Jenufa and Police Chef in Shostakovic´s Lady Macbeth of Mtzensk. It is the Italian repertoire though that he is mostly hailed for. Tonio in Leoncavallo´s I Pagliacci, Alfio in Mascagni´s Cavalleria Rusticana, Puccini`s Scarpia in Tosca, Michele in Il Tabarro, Gianni Schicchi, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, Verdi´s Rigoletto,
Macbeth, Jago in Otello, Amonasro in Aida, Posa in Don Carlo, Renato in Verdi´s Un Ballo in Maschera, Don Carlo in Ernani, Luna in Il
Trovatore as well as Enrico in Donizetti´s Lucia di Lammermoor and Barnaba in Ponchielli`s La Gioconda.
Jaco Venter joined the ensemble of the Badische Staatstheater in Karlsruhe in 2011 where he made his highly successful Wagner debut as
Telramund in Lohengrin following with a vast repertoire including Gunther in Götterdämmerung, Klingsor in Parsifal, Balstrode in
Britten`s Peter Grimes. His most recent success was enjoyed as Verdis Falstaff and Der Fürst in Krazas Verlobung im Traum. Future roles include Alberich in Wagners Der Ring des Nibelungen.