Rex Surany, Principal Double Bass

Rex Surany is the Principal Bassist of The Metropolitan Opera in New York City. He is also a professor of classical double bass performance at The Juilliard School. His musical education began with piano lessons when he was 7 years old. After two years, he switched exclusively to the double bass with Robert Peterson of Trenton, New Jersey. In 2002, upon completing the Vance Progressive Repertoire with Peterson, Rex Surany proceeded to study Rabbath Method with Nicholas Walker, professor of double bass at Ithaca College, and joined the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra under the direction of maestro Joseph Primavera.

In 2006, Rex 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 his interests in composing, transcribing, and arranging that continues today.

In 2012, Rex Surany joined the New York Philharmonic as a temporary member. During this time, he traveled to Germany to learn more about the Berlin Philharmonic’s playing traditions and studied German bow technique with the BPO’s first principal bassists Janne Saksala and Matthew McDonald.

In 2014, Rex Surany joined The Metropolitan Opera as a section player. One year later, he became the Principal Bassist, the position he currently holds.

Rex Surany has been awarded numerous accolades in both solo and orchestral playing. In June 2009, he was awarded 2nd prize of the International Society of Double Bassists Orchestral Competition. During the following summer, he won 3rd prize of the 2010 Bradetich Foundation International Solo Competition, and 2011, he was the 2nd prizewinner at the ISB Solo Competition. Rex Surany has also performed with several orchestras, including the Classical Tahoe Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, American Ballet Theatre, Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Haddonfield Symphony. He has given recitals and master classes at the University of Southern California, Carnegie Mellon University, Ithaca College, The Curtis Institute of Music, Brigham Young University, and Fort Lewis College.