Featured in Martin Horvat’s film, Deh, vieni alla finestra, Jure Počkaj is increasingly recognised as one of the most accomplished baritones between Central and Southern Europe.
He began his training at the Ljubljana Academy of Music and gained his MM from the University of California, Los Angeles, studying with Vladimir Chernov. His awards include a Mimi Alpert Feldman Scholarship, a Phil Altman Scholarship, a UCLA Graduate Division Scholarship and a Stipend from the Richard-Wagner-Stipendienstiftung. He was also the Gold Medal Winner of the Young Singers’ Competition of Slovenia.
At the Slovenian National Theatre, Ljubljana, his roles have included the title role in Don Giovanni, Figaro Il barbiere di Siviglia, Jochanaan Salome, Miller Luisa Miller and Il conte di Luna Il trovatore.
Elsewhere, his engagements have included Escamillo Carmen at the Mozart Festival Pravets; Malatesta Don Pasquale, Jack Rance La Fanciulla del West, Don Carlo di Varga La forza del destino, ll conte di Luna Il trovatore and Alberich Das Rheingold at the Slovenian National Theatre, Maribor; and Il conte di Luna Il trovatore at the Croatian National Theatre, Split, and Opera in Piazza, Oderzo.
He is happy to showcase in his repertoire Bogomil in the first Slovenian Singspiel Jamska Ivanka by Miroslav Vilharja, which he presented at the Cultural Theatre, Postojna, and at the Belvedere in Vienna. He pleased and proud to bring his native language and the music of this native composer to a wider public.
Jure Počkaj has appeared in concert in Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Serbia, Slovenia and the United States of America, presenting music by Ravel, Verdi and Wagner.
Recent engagements have included the title role in Don Giovanni at the Palais Eschenbach, Vienna, and a return to the Slovenian National Theatre to sing Miller Luisa Miller and Il conte di Luna Il trovatore.
Current engagements include Belcore L’elisir d’amore on tour with the Accademia Lirica Santa Croce, Trieste, Sharpless Madama Butterfly for the Piccolo Opera Festival, Giorgio Germont La traviata at the Slovenian National Theatre, Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem with the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra and touring with Jure Počkaj with the Forgotten Orchestra.
Please note that this biography is not to be used for programmes. Current information is available on request.
