Rex Surany

Rex Surany is the principal bassist of the Metropolitan Opera and is on the double bass faculty at Juilliard. His musical education began with piano lessons when he was 7 years old, and after two years, he switched to the double bass with Robert Peterson. In 2002, Surany began studying Rabbath method with Nicholas Walker, professor of double bass at Ithaca College, then joined the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra under the direction of Joseph Primavera. Surany attended the Colburn School in Los Angeles, where he studied with David Allen Moore and Paul Ellison. After a year of study, he was admitted to the Curtis Institute of Music, where, in addition to focusing on double bass performance with Harold Robinson and Edgar Meyer, he pursued interests in composing, transcribing, and arranging that continue today. In 2012, he joined the New York Philharmonic as a temporary member. He also traveled to Berlin to learn more about the Berlin Philharmonic’s playing traditions and study German bow technique with Janne Saksala and Matthew McDonald, the Philharmonic’s first principal bassists. In 2014, Surany joined the Metropolitan Opera as a section player, and after a year, he won the principal position. His awards include second prize at the International Society of Double Bassists orchestral competition (2009); third prize at the Bradetich Foundation International solo competition (2010); and second prize at the ISB solo competition (2011). Surany has performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, American Ballet Theatre, Philadelphia Orchestra, Haddonfield Symphony, and Classical Tahoe Orchestra. He has given recitals and master classes at the University of Southern California, Ithaca College, Curtis Institute, Brigham Young University, and Fort Lewis College.