"I began to play the piano when I was four, under the tutelage of my grandfather," says Zachary Fobert '16, who will be taking to the stage at Carnegie Hall this Saturday for our annual global concert. He will be performing two jazz pieces and singing in the "Music for Dance" program, which showcases a broad range of music and dance orchestrated, choreographed, and composed by students and music directors from Dwight's international schools that span three continents.

Music is Zachary's spark of genius and Dwight has offered him numerous after-school programs through which he can pursue it, including the Music Conservatory. His weeks are chock-filled: electronic music composition on Mondays, playing in a rock band on Tuesdays, and classical piano lessons on Wednesdays ... not to mention being a part of Dwight's chamber choir two days a week.

At Carnegie Hall, Zachary will perform as part of an ensemble of musicians and dancers and sit alongside another student—on the same piano. That's one piano, two students, and four hands! The first student to join him on the bench will be Ayane Nakashima '19 for their interpretation of the classic "Ain't Misbehavin'" by Fats Waller, followed by Bernardo Sequeira '22 for a cool rendition of the hot hit "Fever" by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell. Now that's what we call collaboration!

Zachary shares, "Last year, I was privileged to fulfill a childhood dream previously thought unattainable of performing in Carnegie Hall. It was a powerful experience of camaraderie with my fellow performers and a phenomenal learning experience. This year, I hope to be able to further improve my abilities to work with others and present an entertaining performance."

We have no doubt that he will do both—in spades!