Emma Lisney finished studying at Pembroke College, Oxford in 2018, graduating with First Class Honours. She started playing the violin at the age of six, studying with Pauline Scott and currently studies with Paul Barritt. She has had masterclasses with Vadim Repin, Pinchas Zukerman and Maxim Vengerov. In March 2016 she won first prize at the Oxfordshire Concerto Competition, performing Prokofiev’s second violin concerto with the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra. 
She has given many performances throughout the United Kingdom, including recitals for Operation Smile UK and partnering Dame Emma Kirkby in concerts in London and Norfolk. Other collaborators include the Endellion String Quartet, Ryan Wigglesworth, Sian Edwards, Duncan Ward, Huw Watkins and Michael Whight. She also performs regularly with the Lisney Trio. She has a wide repertoire, performing work from the Baroque up to contemporary music and this year appeared at the Living Notes Festival, performing music by Helen Grime.
Recent performances include the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Newbury Symphony Orchestra and performances of the same concerto with with the New English Concert Orchestra in the ‘Battle Proms’ which take place at various stately homes (including, Blenheim Palace and Highclere Castle).
She was a member of Southbank Sinfonia for their 2019 season and is now on trial for principal positions with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and a sub-principal position with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. She was also the guest leader of the Cambridge University Orchestra for 2019 and is permanent leader and co-founder of the Seraphin Project and plays regularly with the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra.

Projects for the 2019-2020 season included performances of Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du temps and a Beethoven Piano Trio cycle celebrating the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth.

Emma currently plays on a violin made by G.B Guadagnini (Turin,1772), kindly lent by a generous benefactor.