JAN STAVA

Jan Šťáva (*1988, Brno, Czech Republic) has studied opera signing since early childhood under the guidance of his mother, teacher and opera singer Zdeňka Rybecká. In 2007–2012, he studied at the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno in Zdeněk Šmukař’s class. Since 2010 he has been a soloist at the Janáček Opera, National Theatre in Brno. Since 2011 he has been a regular guest soloist at the Prague National Theatre and the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre in Ostrava. Since then he has made regular guest appearances in all major Czech opera houses. His international appearances have been at at the Opéra de Paris, the opera houses at Montpellier, Nantes/Angers Opera and at the Opéra de Toulon. His performances cover major basso parts: Leporello (Don Giovanni), Don Alfonso (Cosí fan tutte), Figaro and Bartolo (Le nozze di Figaro), Osmin (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte), Raphael/Adam (Die Schöpfung), Basilio (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Sparafucile (Rigoletto), Alidoro (La Cenerentola), Gremin (Eugene Onegin), the King (Aida), Méphistophélès (Faust), Colline (La Bohème), Claudius (Hamlet), Ferrando (Il Trovatore), the Marquis (Mirandolina), Alvise Badoero (La Gioconda), King Hydraot (Armida), Kecal (Prodaná nevěsta), Paloucký (Hubička).

His prolific concert performance have involved work with BBC Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National de Lyon, Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, Radio Symphony Orchestra Hannover, Czech Philharmonic, Prague Philharmonia and others. He has appeared at numerous prestigious festivals (BBC Proms, Salzburger Festspiele, Prague Spring, Smetana’s Litomyšl, Prague Proms). Jan’s concert repertoire includes basso parts in Bach (Weihnachtsoratorium, Die Johannes-Passion), Haydn (Die Schöpfung), Mozart, Dvořák or Verdi (Requiem).

In this season Jan will appear in new productions as The Jailor (Dalibor), Lutobor (Libuše), Kecal (The Bartered Bride) and others.

“Jan Šťáva has mastered his role of Kecal to the greatest detail. His Kecal is self-importantly the smartest mover and shaker who fills the entire stage. He is no stock caricature but a realistic type. Šťáva doesn’t sing his role but plays it; he doesn’t represent but lives his part… He is making a great and novel contribution to our performance tradition. He is relishing the true comedy without overdoing it; he turns the commonly stilted classic into a fresh realism. He can play anything, natural in every movement, gesture, glance and flicker of the eye. And he is capable of singing in any position and register.”

(Petr Veber’s review for KlasikaPlus.cz of Smetana’s Prodaná nevěsta at České Budějovice Opera, premiered on 12 October 2018)