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ZaRiah woodwind quintet
Featured In · Interlochen Public Radio
September 23, 2026

Getting to Know ZaRiah: 2026 Fischoff Grand Prize Winners

Recorded on Interlochen Public Radio, get to know ZaRiah in this Studio A interview. The ensemble discusses their journey, life as professional musicians, and experience as the 2026 Fischoff Grand Prize winners.

Listen to the Interview →

Queen City Chamber Music is a new concert series in Charlotte, created to bring virtuosic chamber music ensembles from around the world into an intimate, engaging, and community-centered setting.

Curated by the award-winning wind quintet, ZaRiah, the series presents programs that place music by living composers in conversation with beloved standard repertoire, creating concerts that feel both familiar and adventurous.

LEARN ABOUT QCCM
Five musicians standing on stage holding their instruments after a performance, with an audience seated in front of them. The stage background has framed artwork and closed window shutters.

“ZaRiah brought vibrant storytelling to Valerie Coleman’s Suite: Portraits of Josephine, while Mozart’s dramatic Serenade No. 12 closed the program with brilliance and intensity.”

– Kerrytown Concert House, Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival

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“Our goal is to honor our communities and cultures, by sharing our love for storytelling through our craft.”

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 2026 Artist-in-Residence with the Friends of Chamber Music Kansas City. ZaRiah was the First Prize Winner of the 2025 Frances Walton Chamber Music Competition.

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Why the name ‘ZaRiah’ ?

To put it simply, ZaRiah is an homage to our Oberlin days. There is a coffee shop in Oberlin named ‘Azariah’s.’ ZaRiah has Arabic and Hebrew origins, used to describe brilliance or radiance.

A group of musicians performing in an art gallery for an audience, with various artworks hanging on the walls.
A group of six musicians playing wind instruments on stage in a gallery with framed artwork, audience members visible in the foreground.
A jazz band performing at an art gallery with an audience watching.
A group of five musicians playing wind instruments on a stage with large windows and sheer curtains in the background.
A group of five musicians performing on stage, playing woodwind instruments including a flute, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, and another clarinet. They are dressed in formal attire and are standing in front of music stands, with a backdrop that inc
A group of five musicians performing in a concert hall, playing various wind instruments, with a black curtain, a backdrop of windows with curtains, and a blue banner with white text.
A group of five musicians performing with wind instruments and a musical score in a modern indoor setting with large glass windows and trees visible outside.
Three musicians playing wind instruments during a performance at an indoor event, with a blue banner in the background displaying the logo and name of a radio station.
A group of five musicians playing wind instruments, including a French horn, flute, clarinet, and bassoon, in an indoor setting with large windows showing trees outside.
A woman in black heels and a textured gold blouse is playing the clarinet on stage. She has dark hair tied back. A man in a gold shirt with suspenders is playing the bassoon behind her. The background features a large window with a view of trees.
A jazz band performing on stage in front of an audience, with five musicians playing flute, saxophone, French horn, clarinet, and bassoon. A decorative wall hanging of a tree is behind them.
A group of five musicians performing in front of an audience. They are playing woodwind instruments, including clarinets and a bassoon. The setting appears to be indoors, with a plain wall decorated by a large, circular wooden tree art piece. Audienc

OUR MEMBERS

Ben | flute

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Jamison | oboe

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Katelyn | clarinet

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AJ | bassoon

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Braydon | horn

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Ben | flute • Jamison | oboe • Katelyn | clarinet • AJ | bassoon • Braydon | horn •

LISTEN HERE
A stylized, metallic silver letter 'Z' combined with a letter 'R' in a sleek, modern design.

Header Photo by Peter Ringenberg

Gallery Photos by William Muñoz – Ladies Musical Club