Praised as a “fine actor and wonderful vocalist” (Maryland Theatre Guide), Zachary Bryant is a professional baritone and voice instructor who recently earned his DMA in Voice Performance at the University of Maryland in the studio of Kevin Short. The summer 2023 season includes role debuts as Hortensio/Riley and Bill/Lucentio cover in Porter's Kiss Me, Kate and Gregorio in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette with Central City Opera. In October 2022, Bryant created the roles of Billy Greene/Joshua Speed/David Derickson/Elmer Ellsworth in the world premiere of Yours Forever, Lincoln, a new opera by Patrick Alexander and Laura Holland examining the intimate male relationships of Abraham Lincoln. Further season engagements included Giuseppe Naccarelli in Guettel's The Light in the Piazza (Central City Opera), Robert Mission in Romberg’s The New Moon (Victorian Lyric Opera Company), Commissionario/Baron Douphol cover in Verdi’s La traviata (Opera Baltimore & OperaDelaware), Pirate King and King Paramount in Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance and Utopia, Limited (BaltiQWERT) and Requiem (IN Series).

Further recent highlights included house debuts with Baltimore Concert Opera, OperaDelaware and Victorian Lyric Opera Company with performances as Count Danilo (The Merry Widow) and Count Homonay (The Gypsy Baron) on Victorian Lyric Opera Company's season opening concert, Fiorello and Dr. Bartolo cover in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia (Baltimore Concert Opera and OperaDelaware), Quinault in Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur (Baltimore Concert Opera), Mr. Gobineau cover in Menotti's The Medium (Baltimore Concert Opera), L'Inspecteur/Alphonse/Gégène/M. Petitpois in Tailleferre's Quatre opéras bouffes (University of Maryland) and Outreach Artist with Baltimore Concert Opera. Bryant was also featured as Manfred Lewin in Heggie & Scheer's For a Look or a Touch (University of Maryland), Sciarrone in Puccini’s Tosca (Annapolis Opera), Riff in Bernstein’s West Side Story (CU Eklund Opera), Count Almaviva in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro (Prague Summer Nights Festival), Rè di Scozia in Handel’s Ariodante (CU Eklund Opera), Anthony Hope in Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd (CU Eklund Opera) and Kromov in Lehár’s Die lustige Witwe (CU Eklund Opera).

​

A champion for new music and advocacy through the arts, Bryant has created roles in numerous opera premieres with notable composers and librettists Jake Heggie, Gene Scheer and Tom Cipullo through CU New Opera Works: Paul in the workshop premiere of Heggie & Scheer’s If I Were You, Fred Beenstock in the workshop premiere of Cipullo’s Hobson’s Choice, Nick in the world premiere of Silen Wellington's Dame, Not Lady as well as scene premieres as Thomas in Elena Specht's Dust to Dirt, Paul in John Clay Allen's Triage and Alden in Kevin Michael Olson's The Reach. He has performed the role of Bram in Elizabeth Greene’s Hajar (Washington Adventist University), Hannah Before in scenes from Kaminsky’s As One (CU Boulder) and was baritone soloist in the world premiere of Wellington's Fragmenting Ymir.

​

Additional highlights include multiple seasons with the Houston Grand Opera Chorus, leading roles with the Houston Gilbert & Sullivan Society, Teaching Artist with the Alley Theatre Conservatory and Voice Instructor with University of Colorado Boulder, Memorial School of Music and Katy Independent School District.

Bryant earned degrees from University of Maryland in the studio of Kevin Short, University of Colorado Boulder in the studio of Andrew Garland and Columbus State University in the studio of Earl Coleman. He most recently served as Contributing Faculty in Voice at Dickinson College and Education Program Manager & Education Artist at Opera Baltimore.