Zara is the first violinist and founding member of the prize-winning Benyounes Quartet with whom she is currently celebrating a 10th anniversary season. She has toured with the quartet throughout Europe, won numerous prizes at international competitions, and recorded to critical acclaim; their forthcoming album for Champs Hill will be released Autumn 2018.

Zara has co-lead the Philharmonia Orchestra under acclaimed maestros Ashkenazy and Termikanov and regularly guests as co-leader with other leading UK ensembles including Royal Northern Sinfonia, BBCNOW, London Contemporary Orchestra and Aurora Orchestra. She has performed with internationally renowned chamber musicians and soloists such as Julian Bliss, Nicky Spence and Gareth Hulse and at major venues and festivals including Vienna Konzerthaus, Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Verbier, Aix-en-Provence, Aldeburgh and West Cork.

Equally at home in the recording studio, Zara spends much of her time working with film, TV and record producers at Abbey Road and AIR studios. Some recent highlights include the soundtracks to Poldark, Downton Abbey, Planet Earth 2, Oscar winning films Phantom Thread and Moonlight. She has performed at the Royal Albert Hall with Stereophonics, Michael Kiwanuka, Goldfrapp and Bjork and recorded for a huge number of pop artists including The Script, Shed Seven, Emeli Sande Rita Ora, Sheridan Smith, Frank Ocean, Olly Murs, Paloma Faith, and Adele.

Zara has performed across the UK and Europe together with her duo partner pianist Jeremy Young. She has also performed for a number of ballet companies; most notably with BalletBoyz at Sadlers Wells, Alex Whitely Dance at the Royal Opera House, Shobana Jeyasingh Dance at Royal Albert Hall and as leader and soloist for Ivan Putrov's 'Men in Motion' at the London Coliseum. Zara has collaborated with Parliamentary Jazz Award winning group ‘Empirical', performing in the London Jazz Festival.

Zara's surname is of Arabic origin and pronounced 'Ben-you-nes'. She plays on a beautiful 1682 Nicolo Amati kindly made available to her from the Boucher Trust.