I am a French horn player, teacher and conductor. I perform mostly in symphony orchestras in Gauteng and across South Africa. I've performed at some of the most prestigious concert halls and music festivals in Europe. I'm also very passionate about performing chamber music and have plenty of experience in all genres of orchestral and ensemble playing. I've also played in Jazz Big Bands and combos as I've studied Jazz French horn for a while.

I am truly passionate about teaching and have ten years experience as a French horn teacher, and I'm teaching from beginner to tertiary level. I have experience teaching other brass instruments as well such as Trumpet, Trombone, Eb Alto Horn, Euphonium and Tuba. My second instrument is Eb Alto Horn. I am a lecturer in ensemble playing at the University or Pretoria.

I became a conductor through my passion for teaching and working with ensembles. I therefore studied conducting for several years and am now conducting several orchestras around Gauteng, South Africa. I specifically enjoy conducting young talented students and frequently work with young and upcoming ensembles in Gauteng, such as the Gauteng Chamber Strings and Gauteng Musiki. I'm therefore passionate in helping young conductors and music teachers in their conducting technique working specifically with school and university ensembles.

BIOGRAPHY

Jaco van Staden was born in Cape Town and grew up in Pretoria, South Africa. He obtained his MMus degree in Performing Arts at the University of Pretoria and holds a Teacher’s Licentiate in French horn (Unisa). He is currently pursuing a Doctorate in chamber music performance at the University of Pretoria. He enjoys a career as a French horn player, conductor and brass instrument teacher.

During his years of study, he was the recipient of the SICMF (Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival) French horn scholarship, where he was fortunate to study with World-renowned French horn soloist Abel Pereira and performed as a guest with the Orquestra Simfonica da Porto in Portugal. He also had lessons in Vienna from Austrian horn player Volker Altmann (formerly Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra) through the MIAGI Orchestra. Jaco also had masterclasses from Canadian Brass horn player Jeff Nelsen, American horn player James Nickel, and Czech horn player and teacher Bodhan Sebestik.

Jaco is currently a freelance horn player for several orchestras around South Africa, most notably with the JPO, JFO, GPO, KZNPO, and MIAGI. Jaco performed at numerous international music festivals such as the Verbier Festival, Young Euro Classic Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele, and Toblach Mahler Festival during several concert-tours with the MIAGI Orchestra. He is currently the head of music at the Mamelodi Magnet School for Music and lecturer in French horn, ensemble performance, and orchestral conducting at the University of Pretoria.

As a conductor, he studied conducting with Dutch conductor Gerben Grooten between 2012 and 2017 and received masterclasses from Daniel Boico and Victor Yampolsky. In collaboration with MIAGI, he attended conducting master classes of Prof Mark Stringer at the University of Music and Arts in Vienna and received private tuition from Prof Georg Mark at the Vienna Volksoper. He was the runner-up in the 3rd Len van Zyl National Conductor’s Competition in 2016, held at the Cape Town City Hall and conducted the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra at final round. He is the principal conductor of the Pretoria Symphony Orchestra, and often appeared as guest conductor of the Gauteng Chamber Strings, as well as co-founder and conductor of Gauteng Musiki. He was formerly the resident conductor of the UNISA Music Foundation Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra. Jaco has recently been appointed the principal conductor of the newly-formed Gauteng Schools Youth Symphony Orchestra in collaboration with the Gauteng Department of Education to support youth music development programmes.

He frequently conducted productions at the Brooklyn Theatre, from chamber music to Opera and often appears as guest conductor for the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra and Gauteng Philharmonic Orchestra.