Violinist, conductor, arranger and San Francisco Bay Area native, Zakarias Grafilo, has been the first violinist of the Alexander String Quartet since 2002. With the ASQ, Mr. Grafilo has performed all over the world and has recorded extensively, releasing works by Dvořák, Mozart, Ravel and Schumann as well as complete string quartet cycles of Beethoven, Brahms, Shostakovich, Bartók and Kodály.  
 
Mr. Grafilo received critical acclaim for his arrangements for string quartet and mezzo-soprano of works by Gustav Mahler (Rückert-Lieder, Kindertotenlieder and Songs of a Wayfarer), Richard Wagner (Wesendonck-Lieder) and Richard Strauss (Four Last Songs). The Mahler arrangements were featured in the recording, In meinem Himmel – The Mahler Song Cycles (FoghornClassics), with mezzo-soprano Kindra Scharich and the Alexander String Quartet. These highly sought after arrangements of Mahler have also been featured in various music festival and chamber music performances in the United States and in Europe.

Zakarias Grafilo holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from San Francisco State University. He is currently on faculty at SFSU where he's the director of the Morrison Chamber Music Center Instructional Program, directs the University Orchestra and maintains a studio of violin students. In addition, Mr. Grafilo coaches chamber music as well as directs the New Millennium Ensemble at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Pre-College Division.