With seventeen years of flute experience, Emily Higgins performs as a solo flutist and chamber musician in the Charlotte, NC area. She also has taught flute lessons for eleven years, and has a large private studio.
Emily holds a Bachelor of Music degree, summa cum laude, from the Hartt School in Hartford, Connecticut. There she studied with John Wion, longtime principal flutist of the New York City Opera, chamber musician, and solo and recording artist. Her other primary teacher has been Mark Thomas, an international soloist and founder of the National Flute Association. She has also studied flute with Kimberly Sopata, Elena Durán, and Patricia George.
Emily has performed with symphony orchestras, wind ensembles, a contemporary music ensemble, flute choir, and as a member of a wind quintet. She also studied Alexander Technique, a method of learning to release unnecessary tension to use the body’s energy to perform effectively.
Her enthusiasm for new music has led Emily to work with composers Joan Tower and John Thow in masterclasses. She can also be heard on the CD "Sapling," a collection of works by composer and fellow Hartt alum Nicholas Sibicky.
Emily was a performer at the 2004 Manchester Music Festival’s young artist concert series in Vermont, which featured 25 young professional chamber musicians from around the world. She has also performed with the Long Bay Symphony in Myrtle Beach, SC and the Charlotte Civic Orchestra.