Biography

Born in the Scottish Borders, Emily is a third-generation musician who began singing as a teenager under the tutelage of Patricia MacMahon.

As a youngster, Emily discovered her affinity with opera as it merges her two greatest passions – music and drama – fuelling her ambition to enter a career as a professional vocalist with the ultimate goal of becoming an operatic soprano. Whilst still at school and preparing for her undergraduate studies, she was winner of the regional final of the Rotary Young Vocalist of the Year Competition and a member of the Scottish Chamber Choir.

In 2013, Emily began her Bachelor of Music with Honours degree at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland where she was taught by Helen Lawson. During her undergraduate studies, Emily regularly sang in live performances, commercial recordings, radio broadcasts, fully-staged operatic productions and opera scenes.

She has performed as a soloist and chorus member for a number of vocal ensembles including Les Sirènes Female Chamber Choir (BBC Choir of the Year 2012), the RSNO Chorus and the RCS Voices in major venues including Edinburgh’s Usher Hall and Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall. She has performed as a chorus member in the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s latest production of Die Fledermaus and sung roles including Susanna from Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro and Carolina from Cimarosa’s Il matriomonio segreto.

Emily’s other musical interests include Kodály Musicianship – a philosophy that focuses on the use of the voice. Emily discovered the value of this educational method when she was selected to take part in an Erasmus Exchange in the Netherlands and plans to complete her Kodály training as part of her Master of Music degree at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

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