Violinist Emma Noël Votapek is currently the assistant principal 2nd violinist of the Tucson Symphony. Prior to joining the TSO, she played for five years in the Honolulu Symphony. While living in Hawaii, she also performed as both solo and tutti violinist with the Bach Chamber Orchestra.
Emma has a master's degree in violin performance from the University of Minnesota, where she studied with Jorja Fleezanis. During her time in Minnesota, she played with the Minnesota Orchestra and the Minnesota Opera. She completed her undergraduate studies at Rice University as a student of Sergiu Luca, graduating summa cum laude with degrees in both violin performance and economics.
An active chamber musician, Emma has appeared recently in Art.if.Act Dance ProjectÕs production Poe, in the University of Arizona's Ives/Copland Music Festival, at the studios of Hawaii Public Radio, on the Pacific International Concert Artists series, and in numerous other venues in Hawaii and the mainland. She is a member of the Tucson Chamber Artists and the DayStar String Quartet
In addition to performing, Emma has extensive experience teaching and coaching chamber music, most recently at the prestigious Punahou School in Honolulu and the Sierra Academy of Music in Mammoth Lakes, CA. During the summer, she has participated in the Britt, Mammoth Lakes, and Wintergreen Music Festivals, and has played regularly with the Festival Orchestra in Bloomington, Indiana.
When not engaged in musical pursuits, Emma enjoys hiking and backpacking (especially in the High Sierra) and rooting for her home team, the Michigan State Spartans.