Spellman, Zachariah

Principal Tuba

Zachariah Spellman has been Principal Tubist for the San Francisco Opera Orchestra since 1977 and for the Marin Symphony since 1980. He is also a member of the Aurio Trio along with pianist, Karen Hutchinson and bassoonist, Rufus Olivier and for 33 years, he served as the tubist in the Golden Gate Brass Quintet. Mr. Spellman has been a featured soloist with the San Francisco Symphony, the Fremont Symphony, Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra, Peninsula Symphony, the Bay Bones and the Youth Philharmonic of his hometown, Portland, Oregon.

Along with his regular orchestral positions, Zachariah has performed with the San Francisco Ballet, the San Francisco, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Silicon Valley, Oakland East-Bay, Oregon and Houston Symphonies, as well as the Manhattan Philharmonic. He has also been a sideman for Mel Torme, George Shearing and Ray Charles.

It was while performing with the Masterworks Chorale and Orchestra of San Mateo that he met his wife, Susan. Susan's culinary skills are legendary among opera aficionados, particularly as demonstrated by the annual feasts she prepared for the Opera in the Park concert for 30 years. The Spellmans make their home in San Francisco and enjoy restaurants and travel.

Summers have found Zachariah at such music festivals as Tanglewood, Peter Britt, Grand Teton, Lake Tahoe and Mendocino. His students from the San Francisco State University, where he taught from 1982-2020, populate international musical ensembles. Through his work with the San Francisco Symphony's Education Department, Zachariah and his tuba enlighten many students in the San Francisco Unified School District through various Adventures in Music ensembles and coaching through the Instrumental Training and Support program.

In addition to his San Francisco Opera releases, Mr. Spellman is featured on recently released recordings on the Digital Victrola label along with pianist, Karen Hutchinson and as tubist for the Jeff Sanford Jazz Orchestra. Additional recordings include 24 Preludes for Tuba and Piano composed by Julius Jacobsen, Songs of our Fathers with Andy Statman and David Grisman, the Bay Area's Circus Bella, Thoth, "Those Darned Accordions" and Big Lou's Polka Casserole, as well as many TV and radio commercials that are produced in the Bay Area. Zachariah can occasionally be seen and heard marching through the streets of Chinatown in the Green Street Mortuary Band.