Emily Rose Walsh, Soprano

Emily Rose Walsh is a coloratura soprano and D.M.A. candidate at the Hartt School of Music in West Hartford, Connecticut. Her lyrical voice and expansive range have enabled her to perform repertoire by composers as diverse as Couperin and Strauss, while her command of music history has inspired compelling programs for audiences largely unfamiliar with art song. Recitals have included Berlioz’s Les nuits d’été, Britten’s On This Island, Debussy’s Quatre Chansons de Jeunesse, and intensive studies of songs by Schubert, Dowland, and Poulenc. Her mission to present classical music as an accessible art form is inspired by her work with the late Maestro Charles Ansbacher, who devoted his career to public outreach through informative performances of orchestral works.

Following the completion of her master’s degree, Emily attended the Franco-American Vocal Academy in Paris and Périgueux, France. There, she appeared as Parthénis in La Belle Hélène, Eurydice in the "Fly Duet" from Orphée aux Enfers, and in numerous recitals. She recalls with particular fondness a French song recital in the village of Génis, and the warm hospitality of its residents. As both a passionate interpreter of Mozart and advocate for audience outreach, she has appeared several times as the Queen of the Night in Boston College family concerts.

As a doctoral candidate, Emily has distinguished herself as a strong writer and historical analyst. Additionally, she has presented two lectures on vocal music: one on varied composers’ interpretations of the Goethe text "Kennst du das Land," and another on songs written by Poulenc during the era of the Nazi Occupation.

In addition to her career in music, Emily has worked for over a decade in the nonprofit sector, building expertise in operations, project management, and copy editing. Having served both a grassroots orchestra and a strategy consulting firm, she understands the critical role of philanthropy in the arts, as well as in education, social mobility, and civil rights. Among her editorial achievements is the 17,000-word article, "How Philanthropic Collaborations Succeed, and Why They Fail," published by the Stanford Social Innovation Review, available here.

A West Hartford native, Emily earned her bachelor’s degree from Boston College and her master’s from the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She studies privately with Dr. Michelle Fiertek, and is the soprano section leader at St. Peter Claver Church in West Hartford under the direction of esteemed conductor Tim Stella.