Emad Zolfaghari

He is co-principal viola of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra. Emad has been the recipient of many prestigious awards, most recently being awarded the second prize at the 2022 Johansen International String Competition and the François Schubert Grand Prize at the 2022 OMNI Music Competition. His other accolades include second prize at the 2021 and 2022 Ronald Sachs International Music Competition, fourth prize and the Paul J. Bourret Memorial Award for Best Performance of the Test Piece at the 2021 national Shean Strings Competition, first prize at the 2021 Center Stage Strings Solo competition, first prize at the 2021 Halton Young Musicians Competition, first prize at the 2020 Guelph Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, first prize at the 2019 Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra Competition and second prize at the 2020 Oakville Chamber Orchestra Competition.

Emad has appeared as a soloist with several major symphony orchestras, most recently with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in Roy Thomson Hall and the Oakville Chamber Orchestra in May of 2022. He will also be a guest soloist with the Orchestre Métropolitain in Maison symphonique twice, the National Philharmonic in Strathmore Hall and the Guelph Symphony Orchestra in the 2022/23 season.

In 2018, Emad was accepted into the Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists on full scholarship where he studied with Theresa Rudolph, Assistant Principal Viola of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for four years. He was also a member of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, where he often performed as principal viola.