Zack Reaves is a highly sought after cellist and chamber musician. His career has taken him around the globe and has consisted of diverse and innovative performances everywhere from Carnegie Hall to local cafes and brewpubs. His open-minded and collaborative approach to music has earned him praise among a wide range of audiences.

In 2011, Reaves founded the Altius Quartet, which went on to receive many awards, including the Silver Medal in the 2014 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. He and the Altius Quartet served as the Fellowship Ensemble in Residence at the University of Colorado-Boulder where they were assistants to the world-renowned Takåcs Quartet. Altius became particularly well known for their inviting stage presence as well as their educational outreach programs for school children.

Since leaving his post with the Altius Quartet in 2018, Zack has embarked on many new endeavors, including composing his first children’s opera, as well as a recording project for which he has commissioned several new works for solo cello by young American and Canadian composers. Currently, Reaves teaches cello at Denver School of the Arts and Boulder Valley Waldorf School and serves as Assistant Principal Cello of the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra.

In the fall of 2019, Reaves will begin a one-year appointment as Visiting Instructor of Cello at the Wanda L. Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University while current professor, Tomasz Zieba, is on sabbatical. In addition to his position at OCU, Zack will serve as Interim Music Director of the Oklahoma Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra.

Reaves has appeared in chamber music festivals around the world, such as the Crested Butte Music Festival, Bay Chamber Concerts, Intimacy of Creativity - Hong Kong, Aspen Music Festival, Music in the Mountains, Orvieto Musica, and the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival. From 2011-2014, he served as the founding artistic director for Bridge the Gap Chamber Players, a Dallas-based chamber music series aimed at building new audiences for classical music. He enthusiastically returned to the organization in 2018 as a member of the Board of Trustees.

Zack’s discography includes recordings on the Centaur and Navona labels. In 2014, he performed on the debut album for the Los Angeles New Music Ensemble. He also released two albums with the Altius Quartet in 2017: Dress Code and Shostakovich String Quartets Nos. 7, 8, & 9, with a third album, Quadrants, to be released in the summer of 2019.

Reaves holds degrees in cello and chamber music performance from Southern Methodist University and the University of Colorado - Boulder. His principal teachers include Andres Diaz, Christopher Adkins, Andras Fejer, David Requiro, Jim Shelley, and Greg Sauer.

When not making music, Zack enjoys snowboarding, photography, hiking, waterskiing, and finding unique restaurants. He is currently based in Westminster, Colorado with his wife, Parisa, and his two dogs, Cassie and Blue.

Reaves plays on a cello made in 1969 by W.E. Hill & Sons and a bow made in 2007 by David Forbes.