Emily Collins, soprano
Emily Collins has spent more than half of her young life preparing for this moment. Starting with classical voice lessons at the age of 12 and now at 25, as she prepares for her solo debut with the Redlands Symphony, Emily can’t imagine a life without music: “Whether it be spreading music through teaching or performing, I always plan to make it one of the most prominent aspects of my life,” Emily says.
Emily, who is a senior voice student at the University of Redlands School of Music, is the 2011 winner of school’s annual Concerto Competition. Competing against a field of top notch musicians representing all aspects of music, Emily emerged as this year’s winner and by virtue of her success has been invited to perform with the Symphony.
“Performing with the Redlands Symphony is a great honor and the first major step in Emily’s career as a performance artist,” notes Co Nguyen, the orchestra’s Assistant Conductor who will also conduct the concert with Emily as soloist, “It can take many years before a vocalist is invited to perform with a full orchestra. This is an amazing opportunity for her and a chance for our audience to see and hear exciting new talent.”
Emily will graduate in May from the University of Redlands with a Bachelor of Music degree. Her current plan is to continue her studies at the U of R under Marco Schindelmann, pursuing a Masters of Music. Emily was born and raised in Hemet, California where she continues to live with her parents, Frank and Linda, a younger brother, Zachary, and her younger sister, Annabelle. When she’s not studying music, Emily can be found pursuing her passion for animals as an employee of the Living Free Animal Sanctuary in Mountain Center, California.
Emily hopes to be an international performer and one day have a private studio where she can share the joy of music.