German-Italian lyric baritone, Giacomo Schmidt, began to sing at a very young age in children’s choirs, such as the Kinderchor des Schleswig-Holsteinischen Landestheater. His very first solo appearance as a singer was in Bernsteins Chichester Psalms with the Sønderjyllands Symfoniorkester. Later he completed his Bachelor studies in voice at HfMT Köln and UdK Berlin. Currently he is part of the Opera Academy at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen.
Giacomo was selected to be a scholarship holder of the Liedakademie Heidelberger Frühling 2021/22, and subsequently was mentored by Thomas Hampson and performed during Schubert Woche in Pierre Boulez Saal, Berlin and Neuland Lied Festival, Heidelberg. His studies were also enriched by learning from Elly Ameling and Hans Eijsackers in masterclasses at International Liedfestival Zeist.
He has performed in a children's production of Hänsel and Gretel with the Taschenoper Lübeck, which took him to the Rheingau Musik Festival and the Lucerne Festival.
As a co-founder and ensemble member of the music theatre collective operationderkuenste, he has appeared as Papageno (Mozart‘s Die Zauberflöte) and Conte di Almaviva (Mozart‘s Il nozze di Figaro) in past productions. Last summer he sang the role of José Castro in La Fanciulla del West at Opera Hedeland.
A major focus of his repertoire is Lied. The time at the Liedakademie of the Heidelberger Frühling resulted in a close duo partnership with pianist Jong Sun Woo. Together they won several prizes at renowned competitions like the 1st prize and two special prizes at the International Student Lied Duo Competition in Groningen International, 2nd prize and the Audience Prize at the Schubert Competition in Dortmund, the Audience Prize, Prize for the best interpretation of the commissioned composition and the Recital Engagement Prize from Lied festival Zeist at the International Vocal competition in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and most recently the 1st prize at the International Hugo Wolf Competition in Stuttgart.
