People

Zola Saadi-Klein (age 21), is an Iranian-American genderfluid composer, vocalist, and artist from Los Angeles, California. For much of their work they draw inspiration from their Persian and European heritage, exploring the cross-cultural bonds of music from the West and of the lands around the Mediterranean Sea. As a member of the Oberlin Buddhist Fellowship (OBF), the practice of mindfulness and concentration meditation deeply influences their musical life. They often collaborate with like-minded creatives at Oberlin, and in the world at large, most recently with artist, violist, singer and mathematician Illana McNamara, I Have Been a Stranger in a Strange Land (2023), and vocalist and poet, Molly Chun, Songs for Those Who Came Before (2024). Zola is currently studying at Oberlin Conservatory.