Described as “beautiful, lyrical” and brimming with “unexpected harmonic shifts” (International Trumpet Guild), the music of Macedonian-American composer Zach Gulaboff Davis centers on the expressive and dramatic possibilities of compositional narrative.
A multidisciplinary collaborator, Zach has partnered with a plethora of organizations and performers ranging from NASA’s Space Science Telescope Institute, the Smithsonian Institute, and New York City’s Apotheosis Opera, to chamber and orchestral groups worldwide.
A 2023 New Jersey State Council of the Arts Fellow for Composition, Zach has also completed residencies at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, Atlantic Center for the Arts, Brevard Institute, Hambidge Center, Bowdoin International Music Festival, and Canada’s Arcady Ensemble, most recently serving as the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Creative Fellow for Composition at Millay Arts.
Zach holds a D.M.A. in composition from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, where he studied under Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts; an M.M. in composition from Mannes College of Music in New York City; and a B.A. in piano performance and composition/theory from Linfield University.
Zach is also active in American Kennel Club dog sports, traveling the country as a licensed Dog Agility judge. Zach currently divides his time between Jersey City, NJ and Salem, OR.
At MacDowell, Zach composed several chamber works, including new compositions for contemporary ensembles Fivebyfive, BlackBox, and F-Plus. He also orchestrated a recent chamber work, Twirl, for full orchestral forces.
