Biography

Violinist Emma Frucht is celebrated for her fearless leadership, warmly expressive playing, and collaborative spirit that inspires both her fellow musicians and audiences alike. With a special expertise in diverse settings of new and old music, she brings a rare depth of musical insight and a captivating presence to every performance. Inspired by a fascination with the interconnectedness of all artistic forms, Emma completed her undergraduate studies at Harvard University, majoring in Art History with a focus on Modern and Contemporary Art. Upon graduating from Harvard, she received the Robert Levin prize for excellence in musical performance. She earned her Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School as a Kovner Fellow, studying with Naoko Tanaka and Daniel Phillips; her other primary teachers include Lynn Chang and Louise Behrend. 

Driven by her strong affinity for teaching, Emma has maintained a private studio since 2013. In Fall 2022, she joined the faculty of Adelphi University as an Adjunct Professor of Violin. Since 2018, she has also been a substitute teacher for Naoko Tanaka at the Juilliard Pre-College Program, embracing any opportunity to work with young students.

A passionate and dedicated orchestral leader, Emma is a tenured member of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, where she frequently serves as concertmaster and principal second violin. She performs regularly in leadership positions with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and New York Classical Players, and is a recurrent guest with the East Coast Chamber Orchestra, A Far Cry, the American Symphony Orchestra, and the American Ballet Theater Orchestra. Emma’s work as concertmaster has placed her at the helm of orchestras conducted by renowned maestros including John Adams, Federico Cortese, Gustavo Dudamel, Alan Gilbert, David LaMarche, Gerard Schwarz, and Osmo Vänska. 

Chamber music has long been at the heart of Emma’s musical journey, and in 2019, she joined the GRAMMY-nominated Aizuri Quartet. Recent highlights include Chamber Music America’s Cleveland Quartet Award, the quartet’s major concerto debut with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in John Adams’s Absolute Jest, as well as debuts at the 92nd Street Y, Carnegie Hall, and the Celebrity Series of Boston. Over the past decade, Emma has performed at a wide range of festivals, including the Halcyon Music Festival, the Kyoto International Music Festival, Manchester Summer Chamber Music, and Yellow Barn. She is a frequent guest at the Mistral Music series in Boston, as well as other prominent chamber music series in New York and Philadelphia, collaborating with many musicians including Natasha Brofsky, Jerry Grossman, David Hardy, Michael Kannen, Alan Kay, Seth Knopp, Anthony McGill, Demarre McGill, Katherine Murdock, Daniel Phillips, Carol Rodland, Marcy Rosen, Naoko Tanaka, the late Roger Tapping, Marcus Thompson, and the Kronos Quartet. 

A fierce advocate of new music, Emma relishes any chance to collaborate with living composers. She has participated in numerous premieres, most recently performing a string quartet by Jennifer Higdon commissioned for the Buffalo Chamber Music Society’s 100th Anniversary, and leading the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra for the Carnegie Hall premiere of a piece by Billy Childs. Emma has had the pleasure of working closely with many other illustrious composers such as Eleanor Alberga, Kinan Azmeh, Lembit Beecher, Douglas Cuomo, Brett Dean, David Serkin Ludwig, Layale Chaker, Caroline Shaw, Augusta Read Thomas, Michi Wiancko, Paul Wiancko, and Jörg Widmann, finding great joy in the process of bringing their works to life. 

Recent Sounds & Sights