Van Wyk Venter - Soloist Bariton


Van Wyk prides himself on his versatility as a musician and constantly strives to discover new avenues in music through which to express himself and entertain audiences. Having been born into a musical family, Van Wyk was encouraged to develop his musical abilities from a young age. During his time at  Drakensberg Boys Choir School, he received a very diverse musical education as a soloist, chorister, and instrumentalist, and one of his most treasured achievements was being recognised as the most versatile chorister, a quality which he prioritises to this day. His high school years were spent at Michaelhouse where he started focussing his training on solo singing and stage performance. While at Michaelhouse, Van Wyk had the opportunity to perform lead roles in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, Lerner & Loewe’s My Fair Lady and Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. He was also invited to perform with the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Naum Rousine and later again under the baton of maestro Richard Cock. After receiving the first-year music scholarship to Stellenbosch University, he started training as a baritone under lecturer Minette du Toit-Pearce and completed his BMus (Hons) Cum Laude in 2020. He furthered his stage experience by performing regularly as a soloist. These performances include the Stellenbosch University Concerto Festival and performances of Handel’s Messiah and Mozart’s Requiem. His stage experience during his student years includes the role of Vicomte Cascada in Lehar’s Die Lustige Witwe, Hymen in Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, Barone Dauphol in a concert version of Verdi’s La Traviata and the role of Gianni Schicchi in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. In 2022 he performed the role of Belcore in Cape Town Opera’s L’elisir d’amore. Van Wyk is currently a member of the Cape Town Opera Young Artist Programme.