Biography

Nineteen-year-old violinist Emily Turkanik was raised in the Austrian Alps, surrounded by music. Born in Cambridge, Emily took up the violin when she moved to Austria at the age of five. Her Polish roots have provided her with numerous opportunities to perform in Poland alongside some outstanding musicians and ensembles, including Maestro Blaszczyk, the principal conductor of the Silesian Philharmonic. At the age of fourteen Emily was accepted into the prestigious preparatory program at the University Mozarteum in Salzburg; after 4 years under the tutelage of Wonji Kim, she went on to study with Professor Igor Ozim for a year. Being part of the legendary Maestro’s last class before he retired shaped her greatly and encouraged her to seek new challenges. Emily took up a place with Professor Maciej Rakowski at the Royal College of Music. She is commencing the Bachelor of Music programme this year and is an RCM Foundation Scholar supported by a Musicians’ Company Lambert Scholarship.

Further important achievements include leading the MusGym Orchestra as concert master in Salzburg’s Großer Saal, where many renowned artists have performed. She has traveled to India, Italy and Germany with the same orchestra, playing at festivals such as the Passauer Festspiele. Emily has also performed solo with orchestras in Austria and Poland, in addition to solo performances in Germany, the UK and the USA. She is passionate and vocal about her love for music, which is why Emily likes to organise concerts wherever she sees an opportunity. This is her way of bringing people together, exploring how multifaceted classical music is and how it plays an essential role in our lives.

Musicians’ Company Award: RCM Lambert Scholarship 2016

Page Updated: 2017