Quoted by DMV Classical as having “a consistently lovely tone and [taking] her melodic twists and turns with stylish assurance,” Emily Tsai began her musical studies at the age of four on the violin and started the oboe when she was ten.

Along with her position as Assistant Principal Oboe of the Washington National Opera and Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, Emily is the oboist and touring director of the internationally renowned wind quintet, WindSync, gold medalist at the International Fischoff Competition and medalist at the M-prize Chamber Arts Competition. She has performed with WindSync in prominent venues such as Ravinia, IL, the Library of Congress, DC, the Grand Tetons Music Festival, WY, Strathmore, MD, among others and has taught artist residencies at many colleges and universities, including the Eastman School of Music, Northwestern University, University of Maryland, Orchestra of the Americas, and New World Symphony. She has made solo appearances with the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra, the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, the Alba Music Festival Orchestra, and the Amadeus Orchestra, and others. Besides WindSync, Emily has performed chamber music with such prominent musicians as Nathan Hughes, Frank Morelli, Clive Greensmith, and Martin Chalifour.

Emily is also an active freelancer and educator in the Washington, DC area. She has performed with such orchestras as the National Philharmonic, Amadeus Orchestra, Maryland Lyric Opera, Allentown Symphony Orchestra, the Alexandria Symphony and others. Emily is also the Adjunct Professor of Oboe at St. Mary’s College, MD and teachers her own private studio.

Emily has been on a number of recorded albums and singles including WindSync’s most recent album release, All Worlds, All Times, which debuted at #2 on the Classical Billboard charts. Other recordings include WindSync’s Pulcinella Suite and D’amore Duo’s Behind the Moon among others. She has also arranged and recorded many pieces for wind quintet and double reed choir.

Her main teachers include Mark Hill, Richard Killmer, and Malcolm Smith. Emily received her Bachelor of Music degree in Oboe Performance, with a Performer’s Certificate and the Chamber Music Award, from the Eastman School of Music, and her Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Rochester, graduating Magna Cum Laude. She received her Master of Music from the University of Maryland, where she was part of the Graduate Fellowship Quintet, SIREN.

In her downtime, Emily has completed a number of half marathons, a full marathon, an Olympic triathlon, and a Tough Mudder, and loves to do various outdoor adventures with her husband, Karl. Inside, she can be found playing video games, and spoiling her two adorable cats, Xenia and Perch.