Zahara (Annette Philip)
Group Director

Zahara (Annette Philip) (she/her) is a Grammy and Emmy nominated musician, educator, and arts entrepreneur. A versatile vocal improviser with roots in Kerala, India, she is a seasoned recording and touring artist, producer, composer-arranger, pianist, voice-over actor, TV personality, and bonafide sari connoisseur. 

At Boston's Berklee College of Music, Zahara is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Grammy Nominated Berklee Indian Ensemble, a viral phenomenon with over 360 million views till date. The Ensemble's debut album, Shuruaat, featured 98 musicians from 39 countries, and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Global Music Album in 2023. She also leads the Berklee India Exchange Institute, an arts collective that harnesses India’s rich musical heritage and its modern incarnations to create world class education, artist-driven community networks, and innovative industry projects. 

Zahara has collaborated with legendary artists including A.R. Rahman, Bill Whelan, Rhiannon, Nona Hendryx, Angelique Kidjo, Ustad Zakir Hussain, and Shankar Mahadevan. She also tours the globe with the award-winning vocal quartet, Women of the World; disruptors in the a cappella world, singing in 37 languages and counting. In the world of vocal improvisation, Zahara is part of the Murmuration Project led by Rhiannon and Margie Gillis. She is a circle-song and vocal facilitator with New York's ever growing Gaia Music Collective, and has been directing the Global Ensemble at A Cappella Academy since 2024. 

Believing strongly in the power of playfulness to unlock creativity, Zahara's workshops on improvised storytelling through sound, movement, and global vocal nuances help musicians trust, love, and better understand themselves and their artistic voice. In all she does, including her duos, Tigs & Nettles and Jugaad, and "keeping it light" her online reflection series, Zahara’s message of self-love, playful resilience, and kindness are the foundation.