Growing up in Melbourne, Emma’s father loved classical music and her mother loved ballet, so they always had classical records playing at home. Emma’s favourite work was Dvorak’s New World Symphony, and through this piece she fell in love with the oboe and cor anglais, and began playing oboe at the age of 11.
After a couple of years Emma was invited to join the Melbourne Youth Symphonic Band, and later the Melbourne Youth Orchestra. Emma also played as a guest for Melbourne Bach Chorale, South Melbourne Orchestra, Heidelberg Youth Orchestra, and performed her first concerto at 15 with the Dorien Le Galliene orchestra.
Emma studied oboe for several years with Stephen Robinson, but was somewhat overshadowed by his star pupil Diana Doherty, who became an internationally-known soloist and recording artist.
Ultimately Emma made the decision to take up a place in medical school rather than pursuing a career in music. This resulted in a long break from playing as the combination of studying and working left little time for anything else, particularly as her next passion became surgery. Emma trained as a general and trauma surgeon, then as a breast/endocrine surgeon. Emma began her own surgical practice on the Sunshine Coast in 2009, and continues to work as a surgical consultant at Breast Screen Nambour.
Emma returned to playing oboe in 2015 and joined the SCSO. Emma says “In some ways I enjoy playing now even more than as a teenager. To sit in the centre of an orchestra working in harmony is an incredible experience, there’s nothing to match the emotional power of orchestral music to express the human condition.”
An active volunteer with 15 years experience teaching trauma management for the College of Surgeons, Emma is also a member of her local Rural Fire Service, and stints for the SCSO as Treasurer, Secretary and now Marketing Manager.
Emma also plays with the Australian Doctor’s Orchestra, and has been a guest player for most groups on the Sunshine Coast, and will perform a solo with the SCSO at the Cinema Adventures concert on 7 December 2024.
Click here to buy tickets.
Cinema Adventures
7th December 2024, 7pm at The Events Centre, Caloundra.
Comments