Emma Koi is a flutist and educator based in Central Florida, and has been performing as a substitute musician with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra since 2007. In addition, she performs with Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, The Florida Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, and Brevard Symphony Orchestra. She previously held positions as Third Flute/Piccolo with the Florida Grand Opera, and Principal Flute with Festival City Symphony. She is an alumna of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, where she had the privilege of working closely with Judson and Joyce Green Creative Consultant Yo- Yo Ma on community engagement initiatives throughout Chicago.
Emma is Adjunct Professor of Flute at Seminole State College, and has previously taught at Carroll University, Mount Mary University, and the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. She takes a holistic approach to her teaching, helping students cultivate technical mastery while honoring their overall wellbeing as musicians and professionals. Her students have earned top prizes in competitions with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Flute Festival, Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the Civic Music Association, and former students have gone on to pursue music degrees at Lawrence University, Boston Conservatory, Case Western Reserve/Cleveland Institute of Music, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, among others. Emma holds a Master of Music from Carnegie Mellon University, and bachelor’s degrees in music and dance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her teachers include Alberto Almarza, Jeanne Baxtresser, and Caen Thomason-Redus.
Ms. Koi enjoys working across artistic boundaries to produce new work with dancers, composers, filmmakers and opera theatre. As a founding member of multidisciplinary ensemble Cadance Collective, she collaborated on projects with Present Music, Milwaukee Opera Theatre, DanceworksMKE, WildSpace Dance Company, and vocal music ensemble Aperi Animam. She has worked on new music projects with composer Anna Clyne, Access Contemporary Music, and ensembleNewSRQ, and as a chamber musician with Milwaukee Musaik and Frankly Music. In addition to her music career, she directs the yoga, meditation and sound healing programs at Magnolia Yoga & Wellness Center in Longwood, Florida. Emma lives in Central Florida with her husband and two children.