Jared Ice is an American operatic bass-baritone based in Germany.
As a teenager, Jared grew up in Seattle, USA. He toured nationally with various music ensembles as an electric bassist. After earning a Master of Music degree from the University of Washington, Jared began his professional career as a young artist with Tacoma Opera, training under the guidance of dramatic soprano Jane Eaglen. He went on to perform leading roles with several opera companies on the West Coast before moving to the East Coast to join Opera Theater of Pittsburgh as a resident artist under Jonathan Eaton. Jared spent summers at the Institute for Young Dramatic Voices, where he trained directly with renowned mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick.
After winning the prestigious Anna Sosenko Trust Award in New York City, he relocated to Europe, where he won the Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg International Singing Competition and made his European debut at Staatstheater Braunschweig as Holofernes in Siegfried Matthus’ opera Judith. Mr. Matthus and Mr. Ice would go on to collaborate on two more operas, Die Macht des Gesanges and Epimetheus which had world premieres in Frankfurt and Bochum, and were also broadcasted nation-wide on German public radio.
In 2016 Jared returned to Rheinsberg to debut the role of Scarpia in Tosca. His portrayal was praised by the Märkische Allgemeine as a “captivating mixture of powerful machismo and a multi-faceted voice that ranged from cynicism to seducing curiosity.”The Tagesspiegel reported “Dressed in black, with a riding whip in his hand, he immediately makes it clear who the boss is. And yet he doesn't act as abysmally evil as Iago, but rather somewhere deep inside, also as a seducer and a vulnerable person.”
After finishing in Rheinsberg, Jared relocated to Darmstadt where he partnered with Staatstheater Darmstadt on a wide array of projects. He was seen on stage as Pannecke in Frau Luna, the Journalist in Lulu, and the Marchese in La Traviata. In 2020 he was commissioned by the theater to compose the song cycle “Words of Reason” which set the words of famous physicists to music. The world premiere was met with a standing ovation to a sold-out audience. The Sex, Drugs, and Opera Podcast was created by Jared Ice and Michael Pegher in partnership with Staatstheater Darmstadt, and developed into one of the most successful opera podcasts in the world with over one-million downloads in over 60 countries.
Following his time in Darmstadt, Jared debuted the role of Sam in Leonard Bernstein’s opera Trouble in Tahiti with Pfalztheater Kaiserslautern. Of his debut Die Rheinpfalz reported “Jared Ice as Sam acted with multi-layered sovereignty, and impressively created the profile of the emotionally cool, life-wearied macho with his razor-sharp articulated bass-baritone.”
In 2022, Jared founded International English Choirs (IEC), a national network of English-speaking community choirs in Germany. Rooted in the belief that music should be a shared and active experience, IEC aims to foster a culture of participation rather than passive enjoyment. The network operates under a curriculum designed by Jared, offering a supportive and flexible working environment for instructors and accompanists who complete his training program. In addition to composing world-premiere works for the ensembles, Jared leads quarterly webinars, mentors team members, and directs annual regional concerts.
Jared was most recently seen on stage at Stadttheater Gießen in the role of Monterone in Rigoletto, and Anhaltisches Theater Dessau returning in the role of Marchese in La Traviata. Jared’s next appearances on stage will be leading roles in Elektra, Gianni Schicchi, and Verdi’s Attila at the renowned Opernfestspiele Heidenheim after which he will make his debut as Pascoe in Ethel Smyth’s opera The Wreckers at the Festival Les Inoubliables in Geneva.
In 2024 Jared Co-founded OPERASCOUT, a supportive community and agency that provides aspiring opera singers with expert guidance, resources, and networking opportunities to help build and sustain a successful career on stage. In addition to his roles as a performer, composer, and director, Jared is active as a guest-lecturer and Voice Teacher.
Jared Ice is represented by Franz-Georg Stähling. Please contact the CMC agency for professional inquires.