Emily Lanzone – Full Article
February 2025
SLO Symphony Concertmaster
Emily, like most musicians, wears lots of “hats.” As Concertmaster she is the leader of the violin section and the intermediary between the conductor and the orchestra. She plays the solos in the orchestral repertoire, and she determines the bowings* so that the strings can be choreographed together. She also tunes the orchestra at the beginning of the concert. Emily is also Professor of Violin at Cal Poly where she teaches applied lessons. “I’m dedicated to my majors. Much of my energy goes to them. Every other week we have Studio Class where students play together and with guest artists. We work on what to listen for in music, we make fixes, we connect the dots to solve problems. This builds confidence and camaraderie. When they play for each other and work through sections they realize they all have similar struggles and are not alone. They learn more pieces, become exposed to new repertoire, work on their nerves, and develop stage presence. It’s exciting.”
In other parts of her professional life Emily plays with the Santa Cruz, Fresno, Santa Barbara, and Monterey symphonies. “I like to work with different orchestras and conductors. There’s a unique energy in each orchestra. New music forces me to stretch and grow. I continue to learn and it fills up my creative cup. But I love my work with the SLO Symphony! It is my primary focus. I schedule all my freelance work around the SLO Symphony.”
Emily began on her road to a career in music when she started on piano at age 6. “I was late to start on violin at age 9. Joshua Bell was my inspiration. As a young kid, I saw him perform the Sibelius Violin Concerto with the Oregon Symphony.”
“Music is in my family; my parents are wind players and did not immediately understand my love of the violin. My father, John, was Principal Horn of the Oregon Symphony for over thirty years, and my mom, Bonnie, was a freelance bassoonist. I’m the oldest of four, but my brother Andy is the only other musician. He’s now a punk rocker and teaches music in Seattle.” “I took private lessons, and played in the Portland Youth Philharmonic through high school. I then attended the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. After three years I transferred to the University of Oregon where I received a Bachelor of Music, and a Masters from the University of Nevada, Reno. I also have a Professional Studies Diploma from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.”
“I’ll never forget my first rehearsal with the Shepherd Symphony at Rice. We read Respighi’s Pines of Rome. The amount of sound, details and pedigree was totally overwhelming. Everyone felt so much better than me! During my time there, I also got to play Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra, which conductor Larry Rachleff programmed every four years, so that all undergraduate students would have the chance to play this transformational work. I recently had the opportunity to play it again with the Fresno Philharmonic and Reí Hotoda conducting. She described it as a gift to musicians; there are solo moments for each section. It is beautifully and intricately crafted.”
Emily also teaches private lessons in violin and viola. She has about fifteen students a week. She coaches chamber music, and plays weddings and special events, with string quartets and other small ensembles. “I love orchestra, but my passion is chamber music. Chamber music is about communicating without words. It is being in tune with other humans – so incredibly satisfying. Probably my favorite piece of all time is Bach’s Goldberg Variations. I enjoy all music, especially jazz, funk, rock. I like anything well-crafted.”
Emily and her husband Brian are parents of their son Kieran, 11, who plays piano and trombone, and their daughter Keely, 6, who dabbles in keyboard and strings. For fun “I cook, play word games, frisbee, hike, walk, listen to true crime podcasts, spoil my kittens, and take my kids on goofy outings. I love watching medical dramas, cooking competitions, The Bear. My favorite movie is Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. All the books I read are related to parenting and the brain-body connection.”
If you would like to contact Emily she can be reached at emily@slosymphony.org. She will be happy to hear from you!
*To fully explain a bowing, the responsibilities of a Concertmaster requires a separate article.