We are ZaRiah.
A “world-class emerging ensemble,” ZaRiah is a collaboration of multifaceted artists who are guided by their varying backgrounds and cultures.
Known for their dynamic staging and audience engagement, ZaRiah was the First Prize Winner of the Frances Walton Chamber Music Competition. They recently embarked on a tour of Washington state in which they performed multiple concerts, were featured on Classical KING-FM, and paid visits to numerous public schools for outreach programs. For ZaRiah, their top priority is connecting with people. They will often interact with their audiences in various ways such as implementing choreography, performing from memory, as well as conversing directly with the audience. ZaRiah believes the intimate and interactive environment of chamber music is what makes it special and meaningful.
Members of ZaRiah have participated in renowned summer festivals such as Tanglewood, the Music Academy of the West, the National Repertory Orchestra, and the National Orchestral Institute, and have also toured with Broadway productions. This past summer, ZaRiah was in residence at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, where they presented multiple concerts featuring a diverse selection of repertoire.
In addition, ZaRiah’s members are accomplished orchestral musicians, having performed with ensembles including the London Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, New World Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Artosphere Festival Orchestra, Akron Symphony Orchestra, Hartford Symphony Orchestra, and Charleston Symphony Orchestra, among numerous others.
Katelyn, Ben, and Oved are currently completing degrees at the Yale School of Music; AJ is the recently appointed Principal Bassoon of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra; and Jamison is the Acting Second Oboe of the Charlotte Symphony.
With three out of the five members being first-generation college students and three members being from the rural south, the group is dedicated to increasing music accessibility in underserved communities.
