Zachary Gvirtzman (Zac Gvi) is an independent composer/multi-instrumentalist/producer from London specializing primarily in jazz, folk and experimental music. He is known for carving out his own space within existing musical languages, often working across styles and art forms. He collaborates regularly with multi-award winning Kandinsky Theatre, composes for Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and groups like Phaedra Ensemble and the Ligeti Quartet as well
as his own projects, and works as musical director for companies like the Globe, represent. and the Secret Cinema.
Zac is a member of the F-IRE Collective and has released 5 albums of original music on F-IRE Label. He has curated and performed in interdisciplinary perfomance series Movers/Shakers and mOOnwAx, bringing together musicians, dancers, artists and theatre makers. He has collaborated/performed with Jarvis Cocker, Seb Rochford, Evan Parker, Larry Grenadier, Lore Lixenberg, Ruth Goller, Kit Downes, Jason Yarde, Rob Luft, Phelan Burgoyne, Eddie Prevost, Clive Bell and Martin Speake. He has performed at venues like the South Bank Centre, the Royal Opera House, the ICA, Ronnie Scott’s and many others in the UK and internationally.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Zac Gvi BMus (Bachelor of Music), University of Oxford, 2008
Theatre/Dance/Live Film:
Shakespeare’s Globe:
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2023) – musical director
- Titus Andronicus (2023) – musical director (deputy)
- The Merchant of Venice (2022) – composer, musical director
- Twelfth Night (2021) – deputy musical director
The National Theatre:
• The Odyssey (2023) – collaborator
The Roundhouse (for represent.):
• Trueman and the Arsonists (2023), version by Simon Stephens and Chris Thorpe – musical director, sound designer
Kandinsky Theatre Company:
- The Winston Machine (2022-23) + UK tour – composer, musical director, co-deviser
- Dinomania (2019) + transfer to New York – composer, musical director, co-deviser
- Trap Street (2018) + transfer to FIND festival at the Schaubuhne, Berlin – composer, musical director, co-deviser
- Still Ill (2016) – composer, musical director, co-deviser
- Dog Show (2015), winner of Peter Brook Festival Award 2015 and Off West End Award 2016 for Best Ensemble – composer, musical director, co-deviser
LAMDA:
- London Labour (2022) by Kieran Knowles – composer, musical director
Secret Cinema:
- Romeo & Juliet (2018) – musical director
- Moulin Rouge (2017) – musical director
The Place, tour:
• This Floating World (2015) – composer
Cork French Film Festival:
- L’Invitation au Voyage (2015) – composer
- Fantomas (2013) – composer
Darren Ellis Dance:
• Meeting Mr. Boom (2013) – co-deviser
Canada Water Arts:
• Marelle (2013) – composer, musical director, co-deviser
Teaching:
- Prague Academy of Performing Arts
- CoMA (Contemporary Music for All)
- ELLSO (East London Late Starters’ String Orchestra)
- NLMA (North London Music Academy)
- WAC (Weekend Arts College)
- Private Tuition Collaborators/Appeared With: Jarvis Cocker, Seb Rochford, Evan Parker, Larry Grenadier, Kit Downes, Lore Lixenberg, Jason Yarde, Martin Speake, Liam Noble, Ben Davis, Ruth Goller, Maurizio Ravalico, Julie Kjaer, Fred Thomas, Jiri Slavik, Atzi Muramatsu, Tongue Fu, Phaedra Ensemble, Kammer Klang
Projects:
- The Nonidentical
- Duo with Seb Rochford
- Duo with Clive Bell
- Perizad
- Monk Spent Youth
- Euphorials
- Duo with Rob Luft
- Duo with Phelan Burgoyne
- F-IRE Collective
- The Magic Lantern
- Adam Beattie
- Fiona Bevan
- Shadow Writing
- Phelan Burgoyne Group
- Dunajska Kapelye
- Fly Agaric
- Lily Luca
- The Maskaradin’ Troubadours
- The Irreverents
- Afrikbawantu
- Super Best Friends Club
- The Gadjo Club
- The Paper Cinema
Teachers:
- Ingrid Laubrock
- Barak Schmool
- Gwylim Simcock
- Fergus Reade
- Robert Saxton
- Malcolm Singer
- Harry Escott