Emily Thompson

Emily Thompson spends most of her free time either playing in or going out to see all kinds of performing arts shows . Music has always been a part of her life. She grew up in Hicksville, Ohio with a professional piano tuner for a father and eight siblings who all found themselves involved in music in some way or another. Emily dreamed of becoming a professional classical musician, so she chose to specialize in violin. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from Bowling Green State University, and then she earned her Master of Music in Early Music from Indiana University. Emily has been teaching for more than 25 years, including in the Indianapolis Suzuki Academy, the Indiana Wesleyan University Suzuki Program, and her own private studio.

You can watch Emily perform as the principal second violin in the Symphony of the Lakes. She also performs with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and the Kekionga Early Music Collective. For Emily, music performance is an invitation to participate in moments of communal beauty and creativity, made even more poignant when she feels completely enveloped in the huge sounds of a live orchestra. Her favorite composures include J.S. Bach, Aaron Copland, and Clara Schumann. Outside of her full-time job as the Fort Wayne Philharmonic’s Club Orchestra Program Manager, Emily finds joy in reading, playing the piano, and going on hikes.