Biography
Emma says “I’ve been on the fiddle since the age of 7, having dreamed of playing the violin since I was 2 years old. I feel blessed to be doing something I love all the time and only wish I had more time to do more of everything! I love the combination of travelling around the world, seeing new things, hearing new styles of music and playing with a combination of friends and colleagues who all love what we do as much as I do. Every day is truly different and in the space of a week I often feel like I have been in a whirlwind. I am performing, educating, inspiring and entertaining in equal measures. What could be better?!”
Emma Blanco studied under Yossi Zivoni at the Royal College of Music. She has attended masterclasses with Igor Oistrakh and Yossi Zivoni in Belgium and with Victor Liva, Sophie Till and Ming Yang in the United States. After graduating from the RCM in 2003 she continued her studies privately with Rodney Friend. In 2003 Emma was appointed leader of the National Musicians’ Symphony Orchestra and has also led the London Soloists’ Chamber Orchestra in concerts at the Purcell Room, St-Martins-in-the-Fields and St John’s, Smith Square.
As leader of Highly Strung Quartet from 2005-2008, Emma played in Belgium, Guernsey, Mustique and St Vincent where she performed for the Governor General in 2006. A review of one concert from BBC Norfolk described Emma’s playing, “…Emma Blanco entranced with the second movement of Mendelssohn’s violin concerto, and was to the fore again with two extracts from Bizet’s Carmen, with the intermezzo ending with a perfectly found harmonic on the E string.”
Emma was a full-time violinist with Graffiti Classics from 2010-2014, a comedy string quartet touring the world with a unique show that is a refreshing alternative to the stuffy and elitist perception of classical music, making it fun and accessible for everyone, whatever their age or musical inclination! Singing, dancing and playing a mixture of Classical, traditional, folk and jazz numbers, with their 16 strings, their 4 voices and their 8 dancing feet they will blow you away! UK highlights for Emma included the E4 Udderbelly Festival on the Southbank, and being the warm-up act for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Rochester Castle. Graffiti Classics' exotic travels took Emma all over Europe, to New Orleans, the deep South of the USA, Oman, Egypt, Madeira, the Caribbean, South America, Russia, Japan, China, Singapore and Hong Kong. All this aside from the regular trips to Sweden, Ireland, Norway and Spain.
Emma now has a busy freelance schedule, based in London. She plays regularly with many orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Concert Orchestra and the New London Soloists (now the Trafalgar Sinfonia). In 2010 Emma recorded on Trafalgar Sinfonia’s new CD with the Allegri Quartet. She has also played recently for West-End productions of West Side Story and new 2015 show at the London Palladium, Sinatra. In 2015, Emma has also toured with former royal harpist Catrin Finch and the Pavao Quartet, including an appearance on Radio 3's In Tune live from the Hay Festival. This year she has also embarked on a brand new collaboration with C-12 Dance Theatre, as their first live musician.
Emma has recorded for artists including Olly Murs, Katie Melua, Will Young, McFly, Aled Jones, Duke Special and The Indelicates. She has also played on film and TV sessions with groups including Millennia Strings and the London Session Orchestra. Emma's TV appearances include The Brits 2014 and the Graham Norton Show. She has given live performances with international artists such as Imogen Heap, Peter Gabriel, Sister Sledge, Philip Bailey and Ray LaMontagne.
Emma has collaborated with internationally-renowned guitarist Tom Kerstens, as leader of GPlus, performing and premiering works by prolific composers including Joby Talbot, John Metcalfe and Max Richter. In 2008 they performed to sell-out audiences at the inaugural festival for new London venue, Kings’ Place, and performed live on BBC Radio 3’s “In Tune.” In 2009 Emma performed the Bruch Violin Concerto with Dartford Symphony Orchestra.
Emma’s Current Projects:-
Docklands Sinfonia
Emma was invited to lead the Docklands Sinfonia in January 2013 and since then has been involved in some very exciting projects with them, including recording all the music for Katie Melua's most recent album, Ketevan, released in September 2013. There have also been fabulous performances at Buckingham Palace, Cadogan Hall and the House of Lords, collaborations with artist and illustrator James Mayhew and musicians Acoustic Earth. 2015 has seen a second collaboration with cellist and BBC New Generation Artist Leonard Elschenbroich and in July 2015, Emma switched to the role of soloist and performed the world premiere of Concierto Mestizo with Ahmed Dickinson Cardenas (guitar) and the Docklands Sinfonia, commissioned by the orchestra and written by Cuban composer, Eduardo Martín.
Trio Mestizo
Since 2008 she has collaborated with Cuban musicians, guitarist Ahmed Dickinson Cardenas and percussionist Hammadi Rencurell as part of Trio Mestizo, touring the UK extensively in 2010 as part of Making Tracks. The high-profile venues included Union Chapel London and the Sage Gateshead. Mestizo released their first album, Havana Suite, in May 2011 at Floridita, London. Their recent performances have included Bolivar Hall, Kinsale Arts Week, the Bloomsbury Theatre, Wallace Collection and the Green Note Jazz Club. Emma and Ahmed also often give recitals as Duo Mestizo, most recently as part of the International Guitar Festival 2014 and for the Dame Cicely Saunders Concert series 2013 and 2015.
Education Projects
Emma has taken part in many education projects with the Philharmonia and London Symphony Orchestras. She teaches Violin, Viola and Chamber music at Westminster Cathedral Choir School, coaches on national Pro Corda Chamber music courses and Chamber Players (based in Sydenham, London). Emma also runs a busy private teaching practice, giving lessons in violin, viola, piano and music theory. Having taught Violin and Viola and coached both Chamber groups and String sectionals on and off at the Junior Guildhall School of Music and Drama for the last 5 years, in September 2015 she takes up a post teaching Violin, Viola and Chamber Music at the Junior Guildhall (London). Pupils of Emma's have been awarded full Music scholarships to Eton College, Winchester College and Ampleforth.
