Zachary Allen is a 15-year-old oboist and studies with Erica Anderson at the Music Institute of Chicago where he is a Merit Scholarship recipient. He began his oboe studies at age 12 after hearing the oboe solo from Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade. Zachary is also a fellow of the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative, a mentorship and scholarship program for young classical musicians from underrepresented backgrounds. Currently, Zachary is a member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra's (CYSO), premiere ensemble, Symphony Orchestra. He also participates in CYSO's chamber music program.
Zachary has also performed with a number of other ensembles including the Merit School of Music's Philharmonic Orchestra and the Merit Wind Symphony. He won a merit-based scholarship in 2019 to attend Interlochen Arts Camp where he played principal oboe in both the Interlochen Intermediate Symphony Orchestra and Intermediate Wind Symphony. He will be returning to Interlochen Arts Camp in 2021 to attend the High School Program. Zachary has participated in masterclasses with Tom Boyd, Nancy Ambrose King, Alex Klein, Toyin Spellman-Diaz, Katherine Needleman, and Titus Underwood.
Zachary is a sophomore at Niles West High School in Skokie, Illinois where he plays in the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra. He also serves on the Teen Advisory Committee for the Chicago Teen Arts Leadership Summit. In his free time, Zachary enjoys biking, volleyball, and travel.
