Baritone Jake Skipworth makes a return to Chautauqua this summer after being a 2016 Studio Artist with Chautauqua Opera and attending the Voice School in 2015. His most recent performance was with the Butler Opera Center as Escamillo in Carmen. Jake has also performed with Sarasota Opera, St. Pete Opera, Tallahassee Bach Parley, Opera Kansas, Wichita Grand Opera, Heartland Opera Theatre, and the Kent Philharmonic Orchestra. Roles include Belcore in L’elisir d’amore, Silvio in Pagliacci, the title role and Monterone in Rigoletto, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, Filiberto in Il signor Bruschino, Fiorello in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Moralès and Zuniga in Carmen, Haly in L’italiana in Algeri, the Commissioner in La traviata, Schaunard in La bohème, Baron Grog in The Grand Duchess of Gérolstein, Rucker Lattimore in Cold Sassy Tree, Leporello in Don Giovanni, Frank in Die Fledermaus, Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte, Marco in Gianni Schicchi, and King Melchior in Amahl and the Night Visitors. He completed his Master of Music degree in Opera Performance at Wichita State University, where he studied with world renowned bass-baritone Alan Held. Jake holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Oakland University. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Music Arts degree in Opera Performance at the University of Texas at Austin, where he studies voice with Donnie Ray Albert.