Photo by Jeannie Liataud

With his powerful voice and commanding stage presence, baritone Jacob Lassetter enjoys an exciting and vibrant career on both the operatic and concert stage. Critics have praised his dignified characterizations, his soaring high range, and his deep, rich tone quality. 

This season Mr. Lassetter returns to Winter Opera St. Louis to sing Captain Corcoran in H.M.S. Pinafore, and returns to the Greenville Choral Union as soloist in Handel’s Messiah. Earlier in 2024 he sang the title role in Rigoletto with The Druid City Opera, Michele in Il tabarro with Marble City Opera, Ramfis in Aida and Zuniga in Carmen with Union Avenue Opera, Dubois’ The Seven Last Words of Christ with Manchester United Methodist Church, an aria concert and residency with Southern Illinois University, an aria concert with the Town and Country Symphony, and both Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard and a recital of British Art Songs at Webster University.

In 2023 Mr. Lassetter sang the title role in Don Giovanni and Ali Ben Ali in The Desert Song with Winter Opera St. Louis, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor with The Druid City Opera, Osmin in The Billy Goats Gruff with Opera Edwardsville and both Britten’s Cantata misericordium and an aria concert at Webster University. In 2022 he sang Tonio in I pagliacci with Painted Sky Opera, Ford in Falstaff with Union Avenue Opera, Vodnik in Rusalka with Heartland Opera Theatre, Rambaldo in La rondine with Winter Opera St. Louis, Papa in Goldie B. Locks with Opera Edwardsville, and Messiah with the Greenville Choral Union.

2021–2022 was a season of Scarpia for Mr. Lassetter, with performances at The Druid City Opera, Mobile Opera, and Marble City Opera, as well as covering the role with Anchorage Opera. In 2021–2022 he also sang Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with Painted Sky Opera, Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus with Connecticut Lyric Opera, Schubert’s Mass in G in Festus, Missouri, a season preview concert with Union Avenue Opera, and a solo recital at Webster University.

In the 2020–2021 season Mr. Lassetter sang benefit concerts for both Winter Opera St. Louis and Union Avenue Opera. He was scheduled to sing the title role in Der fliegende Holländer with Mid-Ohio Civic Opera, as well as a return to Italy for performances of the title role in Elijah, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, and various other concerts. These engagements were all unfortunately cancelled due to COVID-19.

In the 2019–2020 season Mr. Lassetter sang Sonora in La fanciulla del West with Winter Opera St. Louis, and both Schubert’s Winterreise and Argento’s The Andrée Expedition in recital. In the 2018–2019 season he sang Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus with Winter Opera St. Louis, Carmina Burana with the Washington University Symphony Orchestra, Verdi’s Requiem and A Symphony of Toys with The Missouri Symphony, Dick Deadeye in H.M.S. Pinafore and Il Gran Sacerdote in Nabucco with Union Avenue Opera, and a series of three recitals with St. Louis Art Song.

Opera audiences have recently seen Mr. Lassetter as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with Annapolis Opera, Wolfram in Tannhäuser with Apotheosis Opera (New York City,) Peter in Hänsel und Gretel with Union Avenue Opera, and Rodrigo in the world premiere of Borgia Infami with Winter Opera St. Louis. Concert performances include Schubert’s Mass in A-Flat at Carnegie Hall, Mendelssohn’s Elijah in Robbiate, Italy, Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9 at the Peninsula Music Festival, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass with the Bach Chamber Players of Saint Paul, Bach’s Mass in B Minor with the Rochester Choral Arts Ensemble, and a recital on the Shepley Concert Series at Christ Church Cathedral (St. Louis.)

Mr. Lassetter’s additional operatic credits include Germont in La traviata (including his Italian debut in Castelfranco Veneto,) the title role in Le nozze di Figaro, Horace Tabor in The Ballad of Baby Doe, Don Alfonso in Cosi fan tutte, and Griswold in Argento’s The Voyage of Edgar Allan Poe. Other concert credits include Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast, Mozart’s Requiem, and Bach’s St. John Passion and St. Matthew Passion. He has earned critical acclaim for Orff’s Carmina Burana, including a performance at Orchestra Hall in Chicago, where he also sang Fauré’s Requiem. A frequent recitalist, he made his debut at New York City’s Carnegie Hall in 2008 alongside his wife, soprano Karen Kanakis.

Mr. Lassetter has been a Finalist in the National Opera Association Vocal Competition, a Semi-finalist in the Marguerite McCammon Voice Competition, a Regional Finalist in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Award Competition, and received the Encouragement Award from the Southern Ohio District of The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He is an alumnus of the Young Artist Programs of Chautauqua Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and Utah Festival Opera, and holds degrees from Louisiana State University, The University of North Texas, and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.