“I love thinking about creative and innovative ways to engage different audiences and make people discover the incredible world of classical music”

Winner of the Musicians’ Company Award 2019, Emma Arizza has established a fine career as a concert violinist. A native of Como, Italy, Emma regularly performs throughout her home country and the UK, as a soloist and in various ensembles. She graduated from the Como Conservatory with Gianluca Febo. She graduated from the Royal College of Music with distinction, studying with Jan Repko and Felix Andrievsky. She then continued her studies with Mayumi Fujikawa at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, and obtained her Master of Arts in Music Performance with distinction.

She was supported by the Gladys Bratton Scholarship, the Alan Niekirk Scholarship and the Tillett Trust.

Ever since her debut in Romania at the age of 16 with the Orchestra of Bacau playing the Sibelius concerto, Emma’s performances have taken her across Europe, with concerts in France, Greece, the Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Israel and the UK.

Performances have taken Emma to the Estense Hall (Varese), Ateneu hall (Bacau), as soloist with the Mihail Jora Philarmonic Orchestra (Bacau) and Rachmaninov Hall (Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory), Sale Apollinee at La Fenice Theatre (Venice), Palazzo Pitti (Florence), Teatro Sociale (Como), Zandonai Theatre (Rovereto), Auditorium Gaber and Sala Verdi (Milan), St. James’s Piccadilly, the Russian Cultural Centre, and many other venues in London, and has attended masterclasses with the likes of Sergej Krylov, Zakhar Bron (Sommer Academie Salzburg Mozarteum) and the Tchaikovsky Trio.

Emma has won numerous national and international competitions in Italy, as a soloist and in chamber ensembles, including the Rassegna Castrocaro Classica, one of the highest Italian prizes, at which she was also awarded the Audience Prize. Awards to date also include the Biennial Violin Competition Vittorio Veneto (Special Prize for talent and excellence); European Moncalieri Competition – Violin and Orchestra; Barlassina International Young Talent Competition; F. Pavia National Competition; National Giussano Competition; Bellagio and Como Lake Festival International Competition. She was also awarded ‘Best Graduate’, the Franz Terraneo Prize, at Como.

As artist in residence for the Fondazione La Società dei Concerti di Milano (season 2018/2019), Emma performed for the Associazione Musica con le Ali, and as soloist in the CIDIM Israel tour “Suono italiano 2019” and in the CIDIM “Nuove carriere” 2020. She recently performed for Emilia Romagna Festival as summer artist 2020.

During the ongoing pandemic, in 2020, she recorded the Vivaldi Four Seasons with the Franz Terraneo Orchestra in Como and engaged on many workshops for primary school children over different online platforms.

As well as being an acclaimed performer, Emma is also an active educator and teacher. In 2021 she has been selected as Benedetti Foundation Ambassador, where she continues to expand her knowledge and skills on music education, health and wellbeing, workshops leading and much more.

Emma plays on a precious old Italian violin by Francesco Guadagnini (1927) and a Marcello Villa violin.