Get to know Emily

What have you been up to recently?
"I graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Maryland in May 2020. Since then, I've been hired as a Guest Experience Associate at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center and was promoted to Manager of Lux!"
How long have you been singing in choirs?
"I’ve technically been singing in choirs since I was in fourth grade, but I joined my first extracurricular choral ensemble (shout-out to the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York) when I was in sixth grade, and I haven’t looked back since!"
What is your favorite musical memory?
"My favorite musical memory is from when I performed in the premiere of Ola Gjeilo’s To the East and to the West at Carnegie Hall. I was singing with an organization that is very near and dear to my heart, with my one of favorite conductors and teachers by my side in the choir, and I just remember feeling so incredibly lucky in that moment. It truly changed my life."
Do you have any special talents or interests outside of music?
"I really really really love to cook—like a lot--especially for my family and friends."
Who is your favorite composer?
"Caroline Shaw. I first heard her Partita for 8 Voices when I was about 15 years old and it transformed my perspective on sung music. Her compositions are deeply poetic and moving, and I really appreciate that she isn’t afraid to experiment; it just feels like she gets to the root of the joy in using the human voice."
Who's your favorite non-classical musical artist?
"Some of my favorite artists are Lianne La Havas, Joni Mitchell, Fiona Apple, and Phoebe Bridgers. They’re a little different from one another, but they’re all fantastic musicians who take full ownership of their artistic vision, which I respect and admire."
What song have you not been able to stop listening to? 
"Bite the Hand by boygenius."
What's the most interesting fact about you?
"I have both American and Czech citizenship!"
Breakfast for dinner or dinner for breakfast?
"Dinner for breakfast. This is a hill I will die on."
What's your favorite holiday and why?
"I adore Valentine's Day because it gives me an opportunity to celebrate all of the love in my life!"
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
"I'm definitely the latter, but I wish I were the former."

Emily Shallbetter recently completed her fifth season with Lux and has been singing in choirs since she was 10 years old. Emily graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, where she studied with Carmen Balthrop and was selected for masterclasses with Dawn Upshaw and Maureen O’Flynn. At UMD, Emily performed as a featured soloist with the Chamber Singers and in the School of Music’s Bach Cantata series. She is passionate about performing works by living composers and served as the Assistant Director for TEMPO, the School of Music’s extracurricular new music ensemble. Emily also served as President of Sigma Alpha Iota’s Gamma Epsilon chapter. In 2019, Emily helped to organize the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center's annual NextNOW Fest as a Student Curator. Currently, she works as a Guest Experience Associate at the Clarice.

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Opera Workshop Showcase
May 4, 2020 | 4PM
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