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 a member of the first violin section of the Philharmonia Orchestra. She is also the leader and co-founder of the Seraphin Project.

Projects for the 2022-2023 season include a cycle of Beethoven’s piano trios with the Lisney Trio.

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