Tenor Zachary Vanderburg has been heralded as singing “beautifully” (Chicago Classical Review) and “with vocal luster, dramatic fire, and lyrical sympathy” (Augsburger Allgemeine), and his performances have been called “very fine” (Chicago Tribune), “riveting”, “a knockout” and “sensational”(Chicago Classical Review). 

Comfortable in opera repertoire as well as concert and recital, past seasons have seen Zachary’s role debuts of Rodolfo in Puccini's La Bohème, The Visitor in Glass’ In the Penal Colony, Don Jose in Bizet's Carmen, and Leander in Nielsen's Maskarade; performances of Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 2, “Lobgesang” at the Masterworks Festival, Bach’s Quodlibet, Cantata 147, Magnificat and Beethoven's Choral Fantasy as an artist-in-residence at the Baroque on Beaver Island Music Festival; his solo debut with Music of the Baroque in Handel's Esther under the baton of Jane Glover; European tours of Dvorak’s Stabat Mater, Bruckner's Te Deum, Haydn’s Die Schöpfung, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, and Mozart’s Coronation Mass headlining the Eutiner Festspiele, Festival Durance Luberon, Hamburg's St. Michael's Church, the Karlsruhe Konzerthaus as well as other venues in Germany, France and Luxembourg; and appearances as a backup singer in Chicago with The Rolling Stones on their 50 & Counting tour.

Zachary is one of the founding members of Fourth Coast Ensemble, Chicago's vocal quartet, and was the tenor in the quartet for over 5 years.  Fourth Coast Ensemble is a classical vocal quartet specializing in the unique style and repertoire of vocal chamber music. Celebrated for "doing everything an organization can to sustain the viability of art song in Chicago” (Vocal Arts Chicago), Fourth Coast Ensemble embraces a repertoire that spans the history of the genre, from Schubert and Brahms to composers of the present day, including Lita Grier, Andrea Clearfield, and Lori Laitman.  As a member of Fourth Coast Ensemble, Zachary has performed the world premiere of Wayland Roger's I-Thou at the Newberry Library, the world premiere performance of Baerenreiter's new critical edition of Rossini's chamber vocal music in Chicago's historic Ganz Hall, as well as songs of Lori Laitman with the composer at the piano during the 2019 Chicago SongSlam.  After moving to London, Zachary left the ensemble in 2019 and now sits on its board of directors.

A native of North Carolina, Zachary spent one season as a regional artist and opera chorus member with Opera Carolina, where he was given the great opportunity to perform as a featured soloist in the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation "Random Act of Culture" series, bringing opera to large crowds in uncommon venues across the greater Charlotte area.  He has given a homecoming concert titled Songs My Mother Taught Me in his home town of Shelby, and he reprised his recital A Young Man's Exhortation for the Covenant Chamber Music series in Charlotte with pianist Cynthia Swicegood.  The recital was a featured concert of the Gerald Finzi Foundation.

Zachary holds degrees from Wingate University and the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, was a fellow of vocal chamber music at the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago, and he has been a Young Artist with the Chicago Opera Theater and a Regional Artist with Opera Carolina.  He studied with American tenors Allan Glassman, Matthew Chellis and Nicholas Phan.  

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