Richard Zarou, a native of Centreville, Virginia, is a composer of acoustic and electroacoustic music. His education includes Doctoral and Master’s degrees in composition from Florida State University and a Bachelor’s degree in composition from Shenandoah University. His primary composition teachers include Mark Wingate, Ladislav Kubik, Clifton Callender, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, William Averitt & Thomas Albert. He has also participated in masterclasses and lessons and with Chen Yi, Michael Torke, Martin Bresnick, Christopher Theofanidis, Robert Morris, Andrew Rindfleisch & Paul Richards.

Zarou has written over forty-five compositions including instrumental and vocal chamber music, works for large ensemble, and multi-channel studio pieces. His works have been performed at festivals such as Electronic Music Midwest, The Society of Composers, Inc. National Conference, The Imagine2 Electro-Acoustic Festival, The College Music Society National Conference and international in the Czech Republic and at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in the United Kingdom. His awards include the New Music @ East Carolina University Competition in 2002 for Fragile Wraths and again in 2003 for Upon a Child. A lullaby for women’s chorus, Upon a Child has been performed frequently since its premiere at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC in 2002. In 2005, The Smell of Wet Dogs After a Summertime Rain, for bass trombone and CD, was commissioned by Aaron Misenheimer who performed the composition at thirteen universities and recorded the piece as the title work for a commercial CD. Zarou has also composed the music for 12 films including the feature-length documentary Breaking the Silence: Torture Survivors Speak Out. Currently, Zarou is the host of the weekly podcast No Extra Notes which features up-and-coming composers.

Commissioned Works

Cuatro Cancioncitas, 2002, commissioned by The Mexican Cultural Institute of Washington, D.C.

Midnight’s Peace, 2002, commissioned by Dr. Stephen Cooksey of Front Royal Presbyterian, Va.

Current Mood: Introspective, 2002, commissioned by Candice Mowbray.

The Information Suite, 2004, commissioned by the Student Broadcast Center of Florida State University.

The Smell of Wet Dogs..., 2006, commissioned by Aaron Misenheimer for Gold Branch Music.

A Part in July, 2007, commissioned by Nic Arenas of Florida State Univeristy.

Catatonic Vision of the Spring-Loaded Case, 2008, commissioned by Jonathan Warburthon.

Marrian Variations, 2008, commissioned by Loundon County, Virginia for the All-State String Orchestra.

Ghenani, 2009, commissioned by Candice Mowbray and Morgan Jenkins.

Snapshots, 2009, commissioned by Joshua Britton.

Winter Hares Touched by a Jovial Air of Bon Bons, 2010, commissioned by Jonathan Warburton.

Awards, Competitions & Festivals

Fragile Wraths, 2002, winner of New Music@ECU Composition Competition.

Upon a Child, 2003, winner of New Music@ECU SSA Choral Composition Competition.

Marrian, Age 7, 2004, winner of Imagine2 Electro-Acoustic Festival Call for Scores.

To the Voices in His Head, 2005, FSU New Music Festival Call for Scores, Florida State University.

A Night Time Rain, 2005, winner of SCI Region VIII Call for Scores, University of Montana.

Gannon in Z, 2006, winner of 2nd place in Florida State Mikrokosmos Competition.

Fingers, 2007, FSU New Music Festival Call for Scores, Florida State University.

Ad Vitam Aeternam, 2008, winner of FEASt Fest Call for Scores, Florida International University.

Ad Vitam Aeternam, 2008, winner of ‘Free Play’ Call for Scores, Grand Valley State, Michigan.

Are You Listening?, 2008, winner of College Music Society Call for Scores “50 for Fifty”.

Ad Vitam Aeternam, 2008, winner of Electronic Music Midwest Call for Scores, Kansas City, Missouri.

Ad Vitam Aeternam, 2008, winner of SCI Student National Conference Call for Scores.

Marrian, Age 7, 2008, winner of Electroacoustic Juke Joint Call for Scores, Delta State University.

Marrian, Age 7, 2009, winner of SCI National Conference Call for Scores, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Ad Vitam Aeternam, 2010, winner of New York City Electroacoustic Music Feastival Call for Scores.

Bio/CV