Opera is a deep & multi-layered  genre that challenges the technique of singers, & has inspired world audiences for centuries. It has a rich history, & has featured in many cultures.

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But Emma Farquharson's love of opera was not instantaneous...

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When she was young, her mother routinely put on opera CDs, while Emma, in turn, would walk around the house with her fingers in her ears. But as her musical tastes developed, & with the encouragement of her University voice coach, Miss Jo-Nette Le Kay, she was introduced to opera technique. She realized that there was much more to opera than just vibrato notes: the genre was richly emotive, giving all practitioners the platform to experience & express their full range of human emotions.

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Emma hails from Hilton - a town in Kwa-Zulu Natal. She has a rich multi-genre singing background, having spent many years combing through her parents diverse CD collections, & in choirs, both local & provincial / national. A SAMRO scholarship recipient, Emma Farquharson is also a graduate of Rhodes University. She holds a BA and BA Honours, both with distinction in Music.

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In July 2017, she made her debut at the Grahamstown National Arts Fringe Festival. Her show, Opera Found, spoke to her falling in love with Opera, as well as favourites like I Could Have Danced All Night (My Fair Lady), & Auch kleine dinge (German Lieder, composed by Hugo Wolf). She was accompanied by pianists Garreth Robertson & JF Viljoen. This show was subsequently awarded a Standard Bank Encore Ovation Award. She & Garreth Robertson were later asked to bring Opera Found to Richmond House Museum & Music Room, Port Alfred, as the final concert of the year in Sue Gordon's Concerts at The Castle series. Emma then took the show to her hometown of Hilton & neighbour, Howick, accompanied by pianist Jacques Heyns.

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Her second show for 2017, staged at the Nuns Chapel at Rhodes, titled "A Feather on the Breath of God", featured the work of female composers Rebecca Clarke & medieval mystic Hildegard of Bingen. Accompanied by viola player Lizzie Rennie & pianist Garreth Robertson, the show received wide acclaim. 

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The 2018 Grahamstown National Arts Arena Festival saw her return with a revamped A Feather on the Breath of God, which featured no less than ten female composers, spanning 700 years. She was accompanied by American-born PE-based cellist Caleb Vaughn-Jones, & local pianist, Nina van Schoor.

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Her performances have been described as "extraordinary", & her stage presence as cheeky, regal & classy. This light coloratura has been building up an impressive repertoire, & her final tour of Opera Found rendered her very well known in many parts of KZN & the Eastern Cape.

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Emma is now based in Hilton for the year, where she is studying under retired opera singer Margaret Clay-Bowen as a dramatic soprano. She has several concerts planned locally, in Durban, & elsewhere in SA, & has set her sights on competing in the SAMRO International Voice Competition, which takes place later this year.

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Her fascination with opera has led her on a journey of self discovery.  One of Emma's interests in opera is the richness & diversity of the female characters, & how their role in the plot develops. They can be naive, flirtatious, street wise, jealous, angry, &/or mad. They can be hand maids, Duchesses, peasants, shop keepers, & sorceresses. The list is endless. 

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Emma enjoys researching the classical songs of various cultures. She said: "I hope to use my voice & my talents to perform lesser-known musical gems. South Africa has a strong musical history influenced by so many cultures, & there are too many female composers spanning musical history who have been performed far too little.

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She is a proud South African, & her Scottish and Irish ancestry is flavouring her repertoire, evident in shows like the upcoming "A Celtic Ceilidh" with pianist Lara Kirsten & bagpiper Rory Mackenzie. Emma is always keen to find opportunities to perform and collaborate with other artists to create unique shows.

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She explained: "I hope my own joy in singing opera & classical music will make the audience happy & uplifted. Opera allows us to feel emotions at their deepest roots, & in a way, it is cathartic for both the performer and the listener."