Jakob Bloch Jespersen
bass-baritone

BIOGRAPHY

Bass-Baritone Jakob Bloch Jespersen acquired his initial musical education and interest in singing as a member of the Copenhagen Boy’s Choir. This led to his earning a diploma from the Royal Danish Academy of Music and to further studies at the Opera Academy of the Royal Danish Theatre.
In 2013, Jakob Bloch Jespersen was awarded the Music Reviewers’ Artist Prize, in 2014 the Aksel Schiøtz Prize, and in 2020 the Music Price of the Danish Composers’ society.

Jakob Bloch Jespersen made his stage debut at the Royal Danish Theatre in 2006, where he has subsequently taken part in among others Henry Purcell’s The Fairy Queen and Light – Bach Dances with Concerto Copenhagen, under the leadership of Lars Ulrik Mortensen. Worth mentioning is also his role as Leporello in Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Norwegian National Opera, Basilio in Rossini’s The Barber in Seville, Pistola in Verdi’s Falstaff as well as a large number of roles in contemporary music theatre and opera.

As a concert singer, Jakob Bloch Jespersen is in demand throughout Europe, with a repertoire ranging from the 17th to the 21st century. He has especially concentrated on German Baroque music in collaboration with such ensembles as Concerto Copenhagen, Nieuwe Philharmonie Utrecht, Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Lautten Compagney, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and Australian Brandenburg Orchestra with conductors such as Stephen Layton, Johannes Leertouwer, Andrea Marcon, Olof Boman, Paul Hillier, Andrew Lawrence-King, and Lars Ulrik Mortensen.

In the contemporary repertoire, Jakob Bloch Jespersen has taken part in numerous world premiers in collaboration with ensembles such as Theatre of Voices Kammerensemble Neue Musik Berlin, Figura Ensemble, Scenatet, and London Sinfonietta.

Amongst his extensive discography are Kurt Weill’s Berliner Requiem on the label Glossa, the Grammy Award and Pulizer Prize-winning Little Match Girl Passion by David Lang with Theatre of Voices on Harmonia Mundi, and several recordings on the Danish label Dacapo, including Poul Schierbecks opera Fête Galante with Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, DVD-recording of Carl Nielsen’s Maskarade, the part of Christus in the three passions of Heinrich Schütz with Ars Nova Copenhagen and Paul Hillier, numerous recordings of early German baroque cantatas with both Theatre of Voices and Concerto Copenhagen, and not least own productions of Sacred Songbooks of the 17th and 18th century Danish hymnists Thomas Kingo and Hans Adolf Brorson.

Since 2023 Jakob Bloch Jespersen has been teaching singing at the Danish National Academy of Music (SDMK) in Odense.

Photo: Rasmus Weng Karlsen
Photo: Rachel Fallon
Photo: Reinhard Wilting

Educations & Recognitions


Educations
2018 – 2022: Master of Elite Voice Pedagogy
Royal Danish Academy of Music
2004 – 2007: Opera Academy – Royal Danish Theatre
2000 – 2004: Diploma in singing – Royal Danish Academy of Music
1995 – 1998: Diploma – Sankt Annæ Gymnasium

Recognitions
2020 – Dansk Komponistforenings Musikpris
2020 – Poeten Poul Sørensens legat
2019 – Rejselegat, Hvass Fonden
2014 – Aksel Schiøtz-prisen

2013 – Musikanmelderringens Kunstnerpris
2007 – Det danske Wagnerselskabs Bayreuth – stipendiat
2006 – Edith Allers Mindelegat
2005 – Tove Hyldgårds og Tony Landys legat
2000 – Legat, Betty og Valdemar van Hauens Fond