Catching Up with Emma - NSO Summer Music Institute

Emma Resmini

By Rebecca Weissman

Communications Director, Verne Q. Powell Flutes, Inc.

I had the chance to catch up once again with Powell artist Emma Resmini, who leaves for Philadelphia this month to begin her studies at the Curtis Institute of Music.  Emma turned 14 this past April, which was right after she learned of her acceptance into Curtis.  That being said, we here at Powell were extremely excited for her, realizing (by following the timeline) that she auditioned and was accepted into Curtis at the age of 13!

Emma is an extraordinary young flutist and wonderful young woman in general.  This summer, she attended The Kennedy Center/National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute (SMI), where she performed the Nielsen Concerto for Flute and Orchestra as winner of the Institute’s concerto competition.  I enjoyed watching several of her performances via the Institute’s website and was eager to hear more about her experience.  As you will see below, Emma graciously shared her thoughts on the SMI experience – and even a bit about one of her newest pastimes… 

RW: What was your most memorable experience at the Summer Music Institute?

ER: It’s so hard to pick the most memorable experience. There were so many amazing (or insanely goofy) moments. All Summer Music Institute students got to go to various performances. I went to see The Lion King and Side Show, which were so great.  We also got to meet Kay Ragsdale, the flutist who travels with The Lion King. She plays multiple types of flutes during the show, and she talked to us about how to play them, their origins, and also about what it’s like to be in The Lion King. I performed twice in chamber groups, a two flutes/harp trio and a wind quintet, on the Millennium Stage. Everyone I performed with was so great and nice and fun. Picking the best moment is impossible!

RW: Was there anything different that you did -- maybe something you had never done before in terms of repertoire or ensembles?

ER: The NSO Summer Music Institute gave me orchestral experience. Because of the NSO Youth Fellowship (which I’ve graduated from because of my attending Curtis in the fall), I had participated in side-by-sides with the National Symphony Orchestra, where I played in the flute section, so I had a little orchestra experience. However, at SMI we had multiple rehearsals. We played different kinds of music, and I experienced the excitement of playing a concert in an orchestra.

RW: And of course -- the Nielsen! What was it like to win the concerto competition and perform?

ER: My dream of playing the Nielsen with orchestra finally came true! Playing the Nielsen was so fun. I love that concerto because there is a lot of interaction between the flute and various wind instruments (clarinet, bass trombone, bassoon, and oboe), and there’s also interaction with the strings. It’s like the entire piece is a conversation/argument. The conductor was amazing, and we worked together really well, and the fact that I knew the people that I was performing with made the experience incredibly fun.

RW: It looks like you had many friends there, so that must have made the experience enjoyable!

ER: It’s really amazing how great everyone was. You could pretty much talk to anyone. It was fun being around them, whether it was for music or at other events.

RW: And I am dying to ask one more question -- how did you get into baking, and what do you enjoy most about it?

ER: I actually only really started getting into baking this year. I found a Doctor Who cookbook and couldn’t resist. So I started making Doctor Who desserts, and really enjoyed it. So then I started finding all these really tasty recipes online, and now it’s a fun activity to do.

I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with Emma and continue to be amazed by her talents.  Check out Emma's YouTube Channel, Facebook page, Powell profile page-- and (in the photos below) a few examples of her baking!

"Ood" cookies (the Ood are aliens on Dr. Who)

Chocolate chip cookies with Nutella in the middle

Conversation with Emma Resmini

Our youngest Powell Sonaré artist, Emma Resmini, has graced stages as a soloist with the Dallas Symphony, National Symphony, and Pittsburgh Symphony – all before age 11.  She is a remarkable musician who shares the interests of her peers in many respects.  Having accomplished such notoriety at such a young age, we were anxious to chat with her about her experiences, favorite past-times, and advice for fellow flute students.

Emma attended a Kindermusic class when she was three years old.  She recollected that “at the end of class, the teacher would turn off all the lights and play the flute,” which is something Emma really enjoyed.  She said that at that age, she really “didn’t talk much but began going around the house pretending everything was a flute.”  Her parents purchased a flute for her, and she began taking Suzuki flute lessons with her mother.  She progressed through the Suzuki books rapidly and went on to other repertoire.  Emma then began studying with Judy Lapple, who was Professor of Flute at George Mason University.  According to Emma, Judy was a terrific teacher who helped her tremendously with tone and repertoire.  Emma then began studying with National Symphony Orchestra flautist Alice Weinreb.  Like many flautists several years her senior, Emma takes weekly lessons from Ms. Weinreb that are about two hours long.  Each lesson ends with a duet, which is one of Emma’s favorite parts of the lesson.

Emma is now in her second year of the National Symphony Orchestra Fellowship program.  The program is open to students in grades 9-12, yet special consideration may be made for those younger students such as Emma.  She especially enjoys the chamber music component, which was something new for Emma when she began the program.  In her first year, she was in a woodwind quintet and a harp and flute duo.  This year, she is in a woodwind quintet and a flute and percussion duo.  She enjoys performing on the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage and collaborating with members of her chamber music ensembles.  Having performed as a soloist with several symphony orchestras, Emma is extremely comfortable on stage.  As part of the fellowship program, she also has the chance to sit in with the National Symphony Orchestra in regularly-scheduled rehearsals conducted by Christoph Eschenbach.  When we asked her what she likes most about the flute, she said that she really enjoys performing.  Curious as to whether she gets stage fright, she said it “was a bit scary at first,” but she has certainly overcome the challenge. 

When Emma is not playing the flute, she said she enjoys taking care of her dog, Maxi, who is a Maltese and poodle mix.  One of Emma’s other favorite activities is building model rockets with her father.  At the end of our chat, we asked Emma what she would say to a student younger than herself who is just starting the flute.  Emma said, “I would say, if you’re trying really hard, and you don’t think you’re getting anywhere, don’t give up – it takes time.”  We certainly agree and thank Emma for the time she spent speaking with us!

Emma had the chance to perform in the 2012 James Galway masterclass.

Close-up on Emma at the Galway masterclass.