Violist, scholar, and pedagogue Emily Townsend currently enjoys an active career as an orchestral and chamber musician, and private viola instructor in Dallas, TX. Ms. Townsend received her Master of Music in Music Theory Pedagogy and Viola Performance from Southern Methodist University, and her bachelor’s degree Magna cum Laude with University Honors in Viola Performance from Loyola University in New Orleans. She is currently pursuing a Performer’s Diploma in Viola Performance at Southern Methodist University with an anticipated graduation date of May 2021. She studies with Barbara Sudweeks at Southern Methodist University.
As a chamber musician, Ms. Townsend has performed with musicians such as members of the Escher String Quartet, Aaron Boyd, Andrés Cárdenes, and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg. Ms. Townsend has attended summer music festivals such as the Endless Mountain Music Festival, Philadelphia International Music Festival, and Round Top Music Festival and has worked under conductors such as Stephen Gunzenhauser, Cristian Mǎcelaru, Christian Arming, and Yaniv Dinur.
She teaches private viola lessons in her home and at schools in Mesquite and Highland Park Independent School Districts. As a clinician, Ms. Townsend regularly holds masterclasses for high-school students preparing All-Region and All-State auditions. She is an active member of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA), the American Viola Society, and the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA.)
Townsend Strings 