The composer, musical pedagogue and musicologist Zdenek Zouhar began his musical education already in his early childhood (piano and violin lessons) later he also played the viola and organ. While finishing his studies at the Gramar School, he for a short time attended lessons of musical theory with Vilém Blažek at the School of Music Beseda Brnenska (1945-46). After finishing Industrial school in Brno he entered the philosophical faculty of Masarykova University, where he studied as his main subjects musical and fine arts education. After school's reorganization he completed his studies at the Pedagogical faculty (1951). At the same time he was private pupil of Jan Kunc in composition. During his short work at the Pedagogic Secondary School in Bratislava he studied composition with Alexander Moyzes at the High School of Perfoming Arts in Bratislava (1950-51). Later on he studied musicology at the Philosophical Faculty of the University Jan Evangelist Purkyne in Brno, where graduated as historian in the field of music history (1964). Here also gaine title PhDr. in the field of theory and history of music (1967). His also studied composition with Theodor Schaefer at the Janacek's Academy of Performing Arts in Brno (1967).

In years 1953-61 he worked in the department of music at the University library in Brno. Here he was the editor of several publications, including specialized bibliography of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1955), F. Vincenc Krommer (Kramar) (1959) and J. L. Dusík (1960). In collaboration with Božena Fialova he prepared bibliography The Songs of Nations throughout the World (1960). On the occasion of his first teacher of composition's birthday he wrote a monograph: The Composer Jan Kunc (1960). Since 1961 he became an music editor in the Radio Brno, where he tried to promote and edit the works of Bohuslav Martinu. He was also interested in the performace and edition of some lesser known works by L. Janacek.
As a choirmaster and pupil of Vilém Steinmann he collaborated with several choirs (1954-56, female chorus OPUS, 1956-60 female chamber choir „ Vítězslava Kaprálová" and others.). He gave as choirmaster several first perfomances of B. Martinu works (e.g. Primrose - cycle of songse written on Zouhar‘s request). On request of Martinu he also gave the first performance of the Opening of the Wells.

After a short time as a teacher at the Brno Conservatory (1961-62), he started teaching composition and conducting at the JAMU in Brno. Here he acted in years 1962-97, and was also appointed  Professor of composition. Since 1997 he had been the head of the Conducting and Compositional Department at the Academy of Perfoming Arts in Banska Bystrica.