Featuring Winners of the 2026 National Fischoff Chamber Music Competition
This concert in the Music at the Fort Series features Quintet ZaRiah, the Grand Prize Senior Division Winners of the 2026 National Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. The wind quintet includes Ben Smith, Jamison Hillian, Katelyn Poetker, AJ Neuburt, and Braydon Ross. Learn more about the award-winning ensemble below. The program includes:
Eugene Bozza (1904-1991) Scherzo for Wind Quintet, Op. 48
W.A. Mozart (1756-1791) Serenade in C minor, K. 388 (1782) arr. Rechtman
Arturo Márquez (b. 1950) Danza de Mediodía (1996)
Music at the Fort is a concert series presented by Midwest Young Artists Conservatory featuring MYAC’s faculty, alumni, student competition winners, and guest artists.
Concerts within this series are free and open to the public, but we encourage you to reserve your seats in advance. The concerts are held on Sundays at 6PM at MYAC Center, 878 Lyster Rd, Highwood, IL.
A world-class emerging ensemble, ZaRiah is a collaboration of multifaceted artists passionate about creating performances that are both artistically compelling and deeply human. ZaRiah is the Grand Prize winner of the 2026 Fischoff National Chamber Music competition, an honor that has not been won by a wind quintet in decades. Known for their vibrant energy and genuine connection with audiences, the ensemble brings a fresh and engaging approach to the chamber music world. The ensemble recently earned First Prize at the Frances Walton Chamber Music Competition presented by the Ladies Musical Club of Seattle, marking the first wind quintet to ever win this competition.
ZaRiah is the 2026 Artist-in-Residence with the Friends of Chamber Music Kansas City. In 2025, ZaRiah was in residence at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, where they presented multiple concerts featuring a diverse selection of repertoire. This summer ZaRiah will return as Shouse Artists for the 2027 Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival in Southfield, Michigan. Members of ZaRiah have performed and toured extensively all over the world to countries such as China, Korea, France, Germany, Austria, England, as well as Prague.
In addition, ZaRiah’s members are accomplished orchestral musicians, having performed with ensembles including the London Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, New World Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Artosphere Festival Orchestra, Akron Symphony Orchestra, Hartford Symphony Orchestra, and Charleston Symphony Orchestra, among numerous others.
Formed at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the ensemble is deeply committed to showcasing new music. Through their programming they also continue to critically engage with the traditional canon. At the center of ZaRiah’s work is a belief that chamber music is most powerful when it feels personal. Whether performing masterworks, collaborating with living composers, or introducing music to new audiences, ZaRiah is dedicated to creating experiences that invite listeners in and leave a lasting connection.
ZaRiah’s members have built varied careers, with AJ serving as the Principal Bassoon of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. Jamison is in his third season with the Charlotte Symphony as Acting Second Oboe. Braydon is the Assistant Principal/Utility Horn for the Sarasota Orchestra. Katelyn and Ben both serve as Artistic Directors for Queen City Chamber Music. With the ensemble having members that are first-generation college students, and from the rural south, they are dedicated to increasing music accessibility in underserved communities.