Emma Townsend studied violin with Dr Evgeny Sorkin at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, (University of Sydney), where she graduated with a Master of Music Studies (Performance) and Bachelor of Music (Performance) achieving a High Distinction in her violin studies. She held a music scholarship at St Andrew's College (the University of Sydney), where she was elected student representative for music.
In 2015, Emma was awarded a BBM Scholarship for outstanding achievement in the field of music. This award enabled her to travel to the United Kingdom and the United States where she studied with several prominent teachers from the Royal College of Music, Royal Academy of Music, London Guildhall of Music and Drama, the Royal Northern College of Music, and the New England Conservatory (Boston).
Emma has been a concertmaster for several ensembles, including the Sydney Conservatorium Opera Orchestra, the Asia Pacific Chamber Orchestra, and was a guest concertmaster for Symphony Central Coast. She has also held principal positions with the Sydney Conservatorium Symphony and Chamber Orchestras. She was a member of Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s Sinfonia Emerging Artists Program, and has since performed with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, the Verbrugghen Ensemble, the Concertante Ensemble, and Coast Opera Australia Orchestra. Emma also holds a Master of Music Therapy from the University of Melbourne and works as a Registered Music Therapist on the Central Coast.