Zak Chen is starting his second year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a full-ride scholarship, double majoring in Music and Chemistry. Zak has just recently chosen to be the winner of the 2023 Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition at Mead Witter School of Music.

Before college, Zak was a scholarship fellow at the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy, where he studied violin with Almita Vamos. Zak has won numerous awards as a soloist. He was the Winner of 2023 Wisconsin Philharmonic Shining Star Competition, 2023 and 2022 Civic Music Association of Milwaukee High School Competition, a finalist of the 2022 Bolz Young Artist Competition, honorable mention in the 2022 Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s Stars of Tomorrow Competition, winner of the 2020 Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra Senior Concerto Competition, and the recipient of the 2022 Civic Music Association of Milwaukee High School Award for Outstanding Achievement in Musicianship, Scholarship, Leadership, and Service.

Besides his solo experiences, Zak also enjoys playing in the chamber groups and the orchestras. Zak is the violinist of the Calcifer String Quartet of the Music Institute of Chicago. The quartet won the Bronze Medal in St. Paul String Quartet Competition in 2023. He previously studied at the Advanced Chamber Music Institute of Wisconsin Conservatory of Music (2018-2021). He was the Concertmaster of Milwaukee Youth Symphony Senior Orchestra from years 2019-2022.