Emma Williams

Emma Williams studied with Susan Milan and David Butt at the Royal College of Music and with the late Alain Marion in Paris. She has received many awards including a Making Music award from the National Federation of Music Societies, the Prince's Trust and the Leopold de Rothschild Trust. She was awarded a Junior Fellowship at the RCM in 2001.

As a chamber musician and soloist she has performed throughout Britain as well as internationally including recitals at London’s Wigmore Hall (Ensemble Lumière & YCAT Finalist), BBC Radio 3 (Young Artist), South Bank Centre (Purcell Room) and recitals in the Middle East. She performs with Richard Shaw (piano) and with Hugh Webb (harp).

Emma has recorded for BBC2 television, BBC Radio 3, Abbey Road, Cramer Music and for the Metronome, Métier, Dutton and Deux-Elles labels. Her CD “The Sacred Heart of Nino Rota” for Zitto Music Ltd with harpist Hugh Webb features the chamber music of the distinguished film composer Nino Rota.

In the contemporary field, Emma has premiered pieces by Malcolm Arnold, Elspeth Brooke, Robert Dick Ronan Guilfoyle, Paul Evernden, Elena Firsova, John Hawkins, Cecilia McDowall, Peter McGarr, Gary Schocker and Ryan Wigglesworth. She has also performed with the experimental contemporary group Transition_projects. Emma is a member of the chamber group Ensemble Lumière with whom she has recorded a CD of wind and piano chamber music by Cecilia McDowall. The Daily Telegraph described the Ensemble’s Wigmore Hall performance as dazzling.
 

Emma has worked with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, RTE National Symphony Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, English National Ballet, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, London Festival Orchestra, London Chamber Orchestra, and English Symphony Orchestra. Emma has worked as principal with the National Theatre, Independent Opera, ROH2 (Opera Genesis), Carl Rosa Opera, London Festival Opera, Opera Interludes and Stanley Hall Opera.

Her duo (with pianist Richard Shaw) has built a reputation for dynamic and imaginative programming presented in a relaxed but informative style. Their programmes are often enriched with music for piano solo, piccolo and alto flute. In Pan Magazine, the pianist Piers Lane described Emma's "mature, confident playing, projected with authority...full of musical understanding and identification" and with a "fresh, communicative passion".

As well as her busy performing career, Emma has given workshops for the LSO, RPO and Philharmonia and has also coached for the National Youth Chamber Orchestra, National Children's Wind Orchestra, National Children's Chamber Orchestra, the Independent Association of Prep Schools Training Concert Band, and taught at the Junior Royal Academy of Music for five years.  
 

[top of this page]