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The Frisian baritone, Jitze van der Land, grew up in a musical family; as a young boy, he easily sang along to melodies his mother sang to him, after which, with encouragement from his parents, he refined his singing at the Martini Jongenskoor in Sneek. At the age of 6, he was allowed to sing along with the boys' choir in J.S. Bach's Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 at the Concertgebouw. That experience made such a deep impression on young Jitze that the seed for a musical career was planted. In the years that followed, he sang with the Roder Jongenskoor and with the ensemble The Gents. His various experiences with singing in his younger years ensured the development of a strong musical foundation.
After this very musical childhood, it was clear to Jitze van der Land that his future lay in music; he successively studied classical singing at the Prins Claus Conservatorium Groningen with soprano Hanneke de Wit, and after his bachelor’s degree (2018-2022), he successfully obtained his master’s degree at the Conservatorium van Rotterdam with baritone Henk Neven (August 2023-June 2025). He is currently coached by baritone Marcel Boone. He actively participated in master-classes with, among others, Robert Holl, Margreet Honig, Roderick Williams, Paul McNamara, Ira Siff, and Floris Visser.
Jitze van der Land has collaborated with conductors such as Peter Dijkstra, Stephan Asbury, Daniël Reuss, Béni Csillag, and Krista Audere. He focuses primarily on the Romantic repertoire and also has a strong affinity for Baroque music. He primarily presents himself as an (opera) soloist. Additionally, he is affiliated as a freelancer with the choir of the Nationale Opera, Cappella Amsterdam (Director: Daniel Reuss), and Consensus Vocalis (since April 2019). His repertoire ranges from J.S. Bach's Passions to modern opera productions and everything in between. He believes it is important that his audience recognizes themselves in what he sings and dares to be moved.
Jitze van der Land made his debut in the main hall of the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ in 2025 as part of the Jonge Grote Zangers (Young Great Singers) talent program. In 2026, he made his debut as Herr von Faninal in Richard Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier at Opera Spanga. In previous seasons, he appeared in various productions of the Dutch National Opera Academy and in many oratorio concerts and song recitals throughout the country. Additionally, he could be heard in various radio broadcasts of NPO Klassiek. |
