Biography
Jan Wouters
Jan Wouters made his debut as Oberon in a new production of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Opera Zuid in May 2022. In 2018, he created the roles of Herr C and Evengelizzatore in the world premiere of liminal space during the contemporary music festival Münchener Biennale. In 2016, he made his debut in the main character Refugee in Dove’s Flight at Munich’s Prinzregententheater. Born in Antwerp in 1993, Jan Wouters was a finalist in the International Vocal Competition ‘s- Hertogenbosch in 2018, a prize winner in the Princess Christina Concours Den Bosch in 2014 and First Prize winner in the Belfius Classics Belgium in 2013. He was awarded a Silver Medal at the 1st Vienna International Music Competition 2019.
Jan Wouters was educated at the music grammar school Heilig-Graf Turnhout until 2013, studying oboe from 1998 until 2013 and piano from 2008 until 2013. He was a Bachelor vocal student at LUCA School of Arts Lemmens Leuven in the class of Gerda Lombaerts in 2013-18, then a Master’s concert student with Fenna Kügel-Seifried at Hochschule für Musik und Theater München until 2018. Jan Wouters refined his vocal studies in masterclasses with Roberta Alexander, Monica Benvenuti, Janice Chapmann, Maarten Koningsberger, James Platt, W. Stephen Smith and Kai Wessel.
„Starken Eindruck hinterlässt auch Jan Wouters, dessen warm timbrierter Countertenor sich perfekt mit den Stimmen seinen Partnerinnen mischt.“
Münchner Merkur 2021 – Tobias Hell
In 2019, Jan Wouters made his company debut with Opera Ballet Vlaanderen in the ballet premiere of Cantus Firmus / Mea Culpa, based on cantatas by Bach and Schütz. The countertenor performed Tolomeo in Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Munich’s Reaktorhalle in 2017. In 2021, he performed Oronte in Walpurgis’ Talestri with Kammeroper München.
Jan Wouters’ repertoire as a concert soloist includes Bach’s cantatas, Christmas Oratorio, St John Passion and St Matthew Passion, Berlioz’ Les Nuits d’été, Charpentier’s Te Deum, Elgar’s Sea Pictures, Handel’s Messiah and Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne, Haydn’s Nelson Mass, Mitchell’s Cavell Mass, Mozart’s Requiem, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Purcell’s Come ye sons of art, Rossini’s Petite messe solennelle, Tuma’s Stabat Mater and Vivaldi’s Gloria and Stabat Mater. Jan Wouters is also a dedicated recitalist, singing Elgar’s Sea Pictures, Finzi’s song cycle Let us garlands bring and Lieder by Fauré, Hahn, Schubert, Strauss, Vandewege, Wolf and Strauss.
Jan Wouters has worked with directors such as Balázs Kovalik, Ola Mafaalani and Olivier Tambosi and performed with orchestras including Ensemble Octopus, Münchner Rundfunkorchester and Philharmonie Zuidnederland under the baton of conductors including Hartmut Haenchen, Jan Müller- Wieland and Ulf Schirmer.