Education
Biography
Zachary Merkovsky maintains a busy freelance career around the NYC metro area and beyond. He is a member of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra and the York Symphony Orchestra, and often plays with the North Carolina Symphony, Syracuse Orchestra, Albany Symphony Orchestra, Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, New York Classical Players, and New Jersey Festival Orchestra, among others.
In addition to symphonic literature, Zachary is also devoted to chamber and contemporary music. He is one half of Doubles Duo, an oboe and double bass duo, where he works to broaden the chamber repertoire for this unusual ensemble through both new commissions and his own original arrangements. Zachary has also spent two summers with the Shippensburg Festival, three with the Lucerne Contemporary Festival Orchestra, and four at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival as a guest artist. He can be seen and heard on the soundtrack of Bradley Cooper’s Maestro (2023).
Inspired by his own musical mentors throughout his career, Zachary has a genuine fondness for teaching. In addition to serving as the double bass faculty at Wharton Arts, he was a mentor for the Sussex County Youth Orchestra, Youth Orchestras of Essex County, the Music in Schools Initiative at Yale School of Music, and the John J. Cali Extension Division at Montclair State University. Zack was formerly a member of The Orchestra Now at Bard College; he holds degrees from Yale School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, and Montclair State University, where he studied with Donald Palma, Orin O’Brien, and Linda McKnight, respectively.
When he’s not performing, practicing, or teaching, Zachary is probably reading or playing video games at home with his partner Nicole and their two cats.