Zach Manzi is a clarinetist, educator, and creative producer whose musical career spans more than 25 years. He began as a pianist and clarinetist in Colorado, earning top positions in all-state ensembles and performing internationally with youth orchestras, including Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique at the Sydney Opera House. In high school, he won second place in the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony concerto competition performing Copland’s Clarinet Concerto and appeared in Carnegie Hall with his school’s premiere symphonic band.
Zach went on to study at Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music and earn his Bachelor of Music in Clarinet from The Juilliard School, studying with Bil Jackson and Jon Manasse. Zach’s pedagogical lineage traces directly back to Hyacinthe Klosé, a foundational figure in modern clarinet technique. At Vanderbilt, he won the Blair School Concerto Competition performing Debussy’s Première Rhapsodie and toured China with the school’s orchestra. At Juilliard, he performed extensively in orchestral and chamber settings, including Copland’s Appalachian Spring and the Brahms Clarinet Quintet, while also beginning freelance work in New York City and teaching in public schools.
Before graduating, Zach was awarded a fellowship with the New World Symphony, where he performed over 100 orchestral and chamber programs. Highlights include principal clarinet on Beethoven’s Sixth, Rachmaninov’s Second, and Mahler’s Fifth Symphonies, as well as bass clarinet on Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and Strauss’s Don Quixote with Yo-Yo Ma. He collaborated with world-renowned artists including Renée Fleming, Emmanuel Ax, and Gil Shaham.
As a freelancer in South Florida, Zach has performed with ensembles such as Nu Deco Ensemble and Florida Grand Opera, while mentoring high-achieving clarinet students who have gone on to top music schools and conservatories. He has also developed innovative performance experiences blending storytelling, interactivity, and design thinking, co-creating the Knight Foundation–supported ensemble Conduit and pioneering an “Audience Experience Design” framework for musicians. He has spoken on the future of classical music at TEDx and Classical:NEXT. Zach received an Artist Diploma from the Frost School of Music at University of Miami while in residence with Conduit.
During the pandemic, Zach expanded into service design in the tech industry, focusing on customer experience innovation, while continuing to write and speak about the evolution of classical music. Based in Miami, he leads a private studio of advanced students and continues to perform chamber music and creative projects, balancing artistry, mentorship, and interdisciplinary exploration.