Currently an Artist Diploma student at the Hartt School, Zachary Sears has studied and performed across the United States and Europe. He was a cellist with the 2019 American Institute of Musical Studies Orchestra in Graz, Austria, Principal cellist at the 2018 Texas Music Festival in Houston, Texas, and a chamber music fellow at the 2017 Duxbury Chamber Music Festival. Zachary has also performed with the York Symphony Orchestra, Eastern Connecticut Symphony, UConn symphony, and has served as principal cellist for the Hartt Orchestra. He is winner of the 2020 Moshe Paranov Concerto Competition at the Hartt School where he studies with Mihai Tetel.

Zachary is also passionate about teaching and has worked as a private instructor, coach, and mentor in both New England and Chicago. During his time at DePaul University he was one of their Teaching Artists, working with young musicians in the Chicago Public Schools system.

Zachary began his cello studies at age 6 at the UConn Community Music School, and his early teachers include Boris Kogan and Astrid Schween. In 2019 he completed a M.M. at Depaul University with former CSO cellist Stephen Balderston.