Valdis Jansons

Latvian baritone Valdis Jansons made his opera deb in
2004 under the direction of Antonello Allemandi. He
has won many international competitions, including
Giuseppe Di Stefano (Trapani, Italy, 2006) and the
As.Li.Co (Como, Italy, 2009), Riccardo Zandonai
(Riva del Garda, Italy, 2013), Maurizio Quintieri
(Cosenza, Italy, 2014). Mr. Jansons has sung 65 roles
in more than 70 theaters worldwide, including the
Teatro Alla Scala in Berg’s Lulu, directed by Peter
Stein and conducted by Daniele Gatti in 2011,
Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova as Capulet in Romeo et Juliette, directed by Jean Louis Grinda and
conducted by Fabio Luisi in 2012, Teatro Filarmonico di Verona, Teatro Regio di Parma; São Carlos
Theater of Lisbon, Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater, Theater an der Wien, Teatro San Carlo di Napoli,
Lincoln Center, NCPA in Beijing. The highlights of his professional engagements include Enrico
Ashton in Lucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti at Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Il Conte di Luna in Il
Trovatore at Teatro São Carlos (Lisbon, Portugal), at San Carlo Theatre in Naples as the baritone
soloist in Carmina Burana by Orff, at the Monte-Carlo Opéra in Rusalka, Figaro in Le Nozze di
Figaro at Carlo Felice Opera House, then at Theatro Municipal in Rio De Janeiro (Brazil) as
Escamillo in Carmen, as Escamillo in Genoa, the protagonist in Don Giovanni at the opening of the
16th International Music and Dance Festival of Bangkok (Thailand). In December 2015, he made
his debut as Billy Budd at the Teatro Carlo Felice, and later the same year as Onegin in
Eugene Onegin at the Opera Wrocławska (Poland). In March 2016 he sang Rodrigo in
Verdi's Don Carlo at the Lithuanian National Opera, Zurga in Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers at Opera
Wrocławska, Rigoletto,Valentin in Faust,Verdi’s Macbeth, Wolfram in Tannhäuser at Latvian
National Opera, Germont in La Traviata at Teatro Marrucino in Chieti, Italy. In 2017 he sang Enrico
alongside Ramon Vargas in Lucia di Lammermoor at the National Opera of Bucarest (Romania), has
performed Scarpia in Puccini’s Tosca in Tours (France), King Roger in Szymanowsky’s homonymous
opera in Krakow (Poland), Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus at Teatro Petruzzelli di Bari, Nello in Pia
de’ Tolomei by Donizetti at the theatres of Pisa, Lucca, Livorno as well as in May and June 2018 at
Spoleto Festival in Charleston (SC), then Rodrigo in Don Carlo at Opera pa Skäret (Sweden), Ping in
Turandot in a tournèe in China. In February 2019, he made his debut as Folco in Montemezzi’s
L’Incantesimo at Latvian National Opera. From February to March, he appeared at Oper Graz in
Austria as King Roger in Szymanowski’s homonymous opera, and in April, he appeared as Scarpia in
Rabat (Morocco). In August of the same year, he made his debut as Nabucco in Riga. From September 2019 to January 2020, he performed Ramiro in Ravel’s L’Heure Espagnole at Teatro
Grande in Brescia, Teatro Fraschini in Pavia, Teatro Sociale in Como, and Teatro Ponchielli in
Cremona, Italy. In October 2020, he made his debut simultaneously, performing the roles of
Tonio in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci and Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana at the Slovenian
National Opera. In February 2021, Mr. Jansons returned onstage in the role of Zurga in
Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers, making his debut at the Opera de Oviedo in Spain. In October
2020, he made his debut as Tonio in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci and Alfio in Mascagni’s
Cavalleria Rusticana at Slovenian National Opera in Ljubljana. In September 2021, he
returned to Teatro Grande di Brescia to interpret Sonora in Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West,
with subsequent performances in January 2022 at Teatro Fraschini di Pavia, Teatro Sociale di
Como and Teatro Ponchielli di Cremona.
His recent engagements are baritone soloist in Orff’s Carmina Burana at Opéra de
Saint-Etienne, France, in June 2022; Renato in Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera at Opera pa
Skaret in Sweden, July-August 2022; baritone soloist in Orff’s Carmina Burana with Santa
Barbara Symphony. In his upcoming productions, Macbeth in Verdi’s eponymous opera at
Opéra de Saint-Etienne, France, May-June 2023.
Has worked with the following esteemed conductors: Daniele Gatti, Fabio Luisi, Daniel Oren,
Daniele Callegari, Stefano Ranzani, Lawrence Foster, Antonello Allemandi, Isaac Karabtchevsky,
Asher Fisch, Philippe Augin, Stefan Anton Reck and Pierre Vallet. The stage directors he has
worked with include Gianfranco De Bosio, Lamberto Puggelli, Peter Stein, Giancarlo del Monaco,
Emilio Sagi, Jean Louis Grinda, Günter Krämer, Andrei Serban, Shen Wei, Davide Livermore, Yoshi
Valdis Jansons - baritone
Oida, Guy Montavon and Dieter Kaegi.
Mr. Jansons covered Leo Nucci as Rigoletto in the 2012 production at Teatro Regio di Parma,
Rolando Panerai, and Juan Pons as Gianni Schicchi in 2011, Roberto Servile as Marcello in La
Bohème in 2012, both productions at Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa.
Throughout his international career, he has received the following critical acclaim from these
publications:
“…Beautiful voice, great vocal line, stylistically focused already since the beginning of a “role-monster” for
basses and baritones, considerable interpretation intentions in his varied and nuanced phrasing, and the word
articulation of a perfect and well-marked Italian. All this added to his tallness and elegant gait, envisaging him
as an element that, after successfully metabolizing and running in the role, will give a hard time to many
‘prominent rivals...”
Andrea Merli (Don Giovanni at National Opera of Macedonia, taken from the monthly magazine “L’Opera,”
June 2011)
“The brightest ornament of the group was baritone Valdis Jansons, whose Henry was both elegant and
memorable. Precisely this artist was the highlight of the performance and turned out to be the best amongst all
others who came to Moscow this time around.”
Piotr Pospelov (Lucia di Lammermoor at Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow - Newspaper “Vedomosti” February 12,
2013)
“With the baritone, we return to surprises. Impeccable recreation of Zurga, the chief of the pearl fishermen.
Forceful sound projection, correct tuning, good filling of the duos, looking sideways at their companions,
adequate stage presence, fundamental in the most dramatic role of the work, and expressiveness in singing. The
third act, the most demanding for the role of Zurga, was the impeccable cover letter of a baritone with a future
(translated).”
Ramon Avelo (The Pearl Fishers at Opera de Oviedo - Newspaper “El Comercio, February 7, 2021)
“on Zurga Opera Friday, it was Valdis Jansons, a voice still almost undiscovered in Spanish theaters. The
Latvian baritone delivered an excellent performance in the evolution of his character, from jealousy to
acceptance and forgiveness towards the couple, with a moving ending. It is enough to remember the beginning
of the third act, with a generous and expressive phrasing, while the friend’s repentance appeared (translated).”
Diana Dìaz (The Pearl Fishers at Opera de Oviedo - Magazine “Opera Actual,” February 9, 2021)
“Excellence of the same caliber was shown by Latvian baritone Valdis Jansons as Anckarström. He has been
seen and heard at Opera på Skäret before. In 2015 he was Germont in La Traviata, and two years later, he sang
Rodrigo in Don Carlo, but unfortunately, I saw the other cast on both occasions. Now, in his third Verdi role, I
was deeply impressed with his dramatic acting and magnificent singing. His big set piece, ‘Eri tu,’ was
formidable but skilfully nuanced and made Anckarström stand out as a three-dimensional character, not just a
cardboard villain.”
Goran Forsling, www.seenandheard-international.com
“The scorned Anckarström is played by baritone Valdis Jansons poignantly and believably. His powerful and
expressive voice conveys the pain and anger his character is experiencing.”
Kristina I. Kleinert, Newspaper Epoch Times Sweden, Nr. 31, 2022
“There are two singers who stand out in an ensemble at a good international level… And experienced Valdis
Jansons, who made memorable
Germont and Rodrigo’s role performances at Skäret also shine in The Masked Ball.”
Jens Runnberg, Newspaper FaluKuriren, July 31st, 2022
“Probably you will not find a nobler Anckarström than Valdis Jansons from Latvia.”
Camilla Lundberg, Newspaper Dagen Nyheter, August 1st, 2022