Emma Halnan was born in 1992 and is from Letchworth Garden City in Hertfordshire. She started learning the flute when she was eight years old with Debbie Smith. When she was fourteen she won a scholarship to attend Woldingham International Flute Summer School. Here she met Clare Southworth, who became her teacher a year later. Emma studied at the Purcell School from 2008-2010, where she received a scholarship from the Government's Music and Dance Scheme and studied flute with Anna Pope. Currently, Emma is a first year undergraduate studying at the Royal Academy of Music with Kate Hill and Patricia Morris. She has also had lessons/masterclasses with teachers such as William Bennett (WIBB), Ian Clarke, Philippa Davies, Louise Matthew and Sarah Newbold.
Emma reached the Grand Final of BBC Young Musician 2010, in which she performed Reinecke's Flute Concerto with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under the baton of Vasily Petrenko. As a result of this, she is now managed by YCAT (Young Concert Artists' Trust) and her performances have been broadcasted on BBC 2, BBC 4 and BBC Radio 3. As well as this, Emma is the current recipient of the Purcell School's Fenton Leavers' Award.
Emma has played at many major venues such as the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Cadogan Hall, St.John's, Smith Square and Central Hall, Westminster. She also performed at the 2009 Commonwealth Day Celebrations at Westminster Abbey, attended by the Queen. She has appeared twice at the Wigmore Hall with her chamber music partner, percussionist Hristo Dushev. Recently, the duo took part in the Bath International Music Festival and Hitchin Festival. Currently, Edward Longstaff is writing a flute and marimba double concerto for them, to be performed in November 2011, and they are also due to perform at the Cadogan Hall in February 2011.
Emma has also played concertos with the European Union Chamber Orchestra, The Purcell School Symphony Orchestra, Ealing Symphony Orchestra and Watford Symphony Orchestra. In August 2010, she broadcasted on BBC Radio 2 "Friday Night is Music Night" with the BBC Concert Orchestra. Emma is also a member of Hertfordshire County Youth Orchestra.
Her other future engagements include three performances of Chaminade's Concertino, with the London Charity Orchestra (for the annual London Taxidrivers' Fund for Underprivileged Children Christmas Gala at St. John's Smith Square), with Hertfordshire Schools' Symphony and with Stevenage Symphony Orchestra. She will also be returning as a soloist with Watford Symphony Orchestra, performing Mozart's Concerto No.1 in G, K.313. Emma performs regularly with pianist Daniel King-Smith, with whom she is currently preparing for recitals in High Wickham, Letchworth, Bath, and the Benslow Music Trust in Hitchin.
