Canadian violist Emad Zolfaghari won the first prize and audience prize at the 2024 Primrose International Viola Competition. He also won the Klein, ArsClassica, Morningside Music Bridge, Johansen, Tokyo and the OSM international competitions.

He is a graduate of the Curtis Institute, and is currently a Kovner Fellow at the Juilliard School, studying with Hsin-Yun Huang and Cynthia Phelps. He has attended festivals such as Marlboro, ChamberFest Cleveland, Four Seasons and more.

Emad currently plays on a fine 1700 Matteo Goffriller viola on generous loan from the Rachel Barton Pine Foundation, and a Eugène Sartory bow from CANIMEX, inc.