Zachary Brown

Originally from Far Rockaway Queens, Zachary Brown is a NYC based cellist who focuses on pushing the "expected" musical paradigm of the cello. During his initial instruction at the conservatory at Ithaca College, he attended the Acoustic Music Seminar. There, under the influence and guidance of Mike Marshal, Julian Lage, Bryan Sutton, Edgar Meyer and more, he returned with a drive to do more with the cello, more than just western classical repertoire.

Zach began a concentration in Jazz studies for the remainder of his time to figure out how, as a cellist, to be musically flexible and malleable and not to be confined to a defined style. After school he helped start the group Westbound Situation, a progressive acoustic quartet that strives to seamlessly pull together the styles of music they have studied and are inspired by. Be it a constant, swirling mix of Jazz, bluegrass, funk, classical music etc., this has become his main project. With Westbound Situation, Zach has performed at both jazz venues like The Blue Llama, and as concerto guest artists with the Marquette symphony, trying to constantly push that typical and expected boundary of where string players belong.

Zach has been a guest artist and clinician at the New Directions Cello Festival, the Wintergrass Festival, and multiple education 'caravans' with the Riverfolk Music and Arts. In addition to performing with Westbound Situation, Zach has performed with artists Black Violin, Mike Marshall and Darol Anger, and Terrence Blanchard with the Turtle Island String Quartet.