Ballet, bows & tennis courts: Musician Spotlight with Emma Arizza

Article imagery: Visual identity + photo shooting + styling by amusart | classical music creative agency

In another world, violinist Emma Arizza could have become a ballerina and missed her musical calling. Thankfully for us she pursued her passion and has since added many a string to her bow with a variety of performances ranging from the middle of a tennis court to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem! Emma also took the pandemic as an opportunity to take a positive leap forward. Read on to find out more about our latest musician in the spotlight.

Who inspires you the most?

My parents are the ones who made my dream of being a musician possible in the first place. They have always supported me, drove me anywhere I needed to go, stayed with me through bad and good times, always ready to encourage and push me to achieve more and never give up.

My boyfriend is the most inspirational musician for me, always looking to better himself, practising more, learning something new and pushing the boundaries of one musical genre. He is mainly a jazz and pop piano player; therefore he often improvises even when we play classical music. I can only be inspired by watching and listening to these incredible skills he has!

Do you have a best and worst gig/performance story?

Probably when I performed for the very first time with my boyfriend, Stefano. We played at the Royal Albert Hall, in the middle of a tennis court! We had been playing just for fun in our living room up until that moment…it was a true debut!

Emma Arizza & Pianist Stefano Marzanni playing their own arrangement of famous Monti’s Czardas as opening for the Tennis ATP Championship at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Do you have a favourite venue that you have performed at?

I had the enormous privilege of playing the Mozart Concerto in G major in Bethlehem, at Church of the Nativity. Being surrounded by such history and performing in such sacred places is something I will never forget. As a Christian, I found the music especially magical during those concerts, and the atmosphere truly unique.

What drew you to your instrument of choice?

I have fallen in love with the violin because I found a similarity between myself and the instrument. As a little girl, I could look very shy from my physical appearance because I was very small, but inside I was a strong and determined child.

I thought the violin is just like me, little and tiny, but with a sweet and powerful sound.

Do you have any advice for someone looking to learn the violin?

The violin is a difficult instrument to learn and master. It requires patience and hard work – Rome wasn’t built in a day! Try to always feel as comfortable and relaxed as you possibly can, avoid all tensions and stiffness and…remember to practise slowly!

How did Covid-19 impact you? Were there any positive opportunities or any particular difficulties you faced?

I really enjoyed having the time to dedicate to activities other than practising, travelling and performing. I have created an Instagram series with short educational videos (1-minute violin tips) that turned out to be quite successful.

I have also performed streaming concerts and learnt how important it is to invest in good quality microphones and camera for video recordings.

I really enjoyed the process of learning how to edit my contents and using animations too!

F.Schubert, “The Bee” for violin and piano

Want to find out more about Emma or connect?

www.emmaarizzaviolinist.com
Facebook: @emmaarizzaviolinv
Instagram: @emmaarizzaviolinist
Twitter: @EmmaEmmaviolin
YouTube:  Emma Arizza