.png){kind=small}
Jake Surzyn, Executive Director
Born and raised near Detroit, baritone Jake Surzyn has performed with many notable opera companies across Michigan and the Midwest, including Detroit Opera, Central City Opera, Opera Idaho, Madison Opera, and Indianapolis Opera.
With Detroit Opera, Surzyn covered the role of Councilman in Mazzoli’s Breaking the Waves, performed in Yuval Sharon’s production of Ragnar Kjartansson’s Bliss as Antonio, and Rodríguez’s Frida as Mr. Rockefeller. Throughout Michigan, he has performed the roles of Der Lautsprecher in Der Kaiser von Atlantis, Marquis de la Force in Dialogues des Carmélites, Doctor Gregg in Gallantry, Dandini in La Cenerentola, Crespel in Les contes d’Hoffmann, King Melchior in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Pirate King in Pirates of Penzance, and covered Guglielmo in a virtual Così fan tutte.
Last year, Surzyn performed as a developing artist with Central City Opera, where he sang Samuel in Pirates of Penzance and George Jones in Street Scene. He went on to perform with Indianapolis Opera as a resident artist, where he sang the role of Fiorello and covered Figaro in their production of Il barbiere di Siviglia.
As an emerging artist at Opera Idaho during the 2022-23 season, Surzyn covered the roles of Figaro (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Macbeth (Macbeth), Jim Crowley (An American Dream), and Vodník (Rusalka) while performing as Fiorello, il Medico and il Servo, the FBI Detective, and the Hunter. In the 2021-22 season, he was a studio artist with Madison Opera where he covered Jupiter in Orpheus in the Underworld and Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor.
A champion of contemporary music, Surzyn has performed Older Thompson in Cipullo’s Glory Denied, Mr. Johannes ‘Pa’ Zegner in Mazzoli’s Proving Up, The Pilot in Portman’s The Little Prince, and was the bass soloist in Lang’s the little match girl passion, Jesus in Chilcott’s St. John Passion, and the baritone soloist in Ticheli’s The Shore.
​
Previously serving as the Artist Liaison, Surzyn now steps into a new role as the Executive Director of Opera de Metro.
Surzyn serves on the Opera de Metro Advisory Board as the secretary.