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Pitch-perfect performance

Music student Emma Yee hitting all the right notes at the Halifax Summer Opera Festival
By: Ren茅e Belliveau (鈥17)

Growing up in Toronto, fourth-year music student and Bell Achievement Award recipient Emma Yee had every opportunity to immerse herself in the world of performing arts.

鈥淚 was very lucky to be able to go to musicals with my mom and dad as a kid, and I always really enjoyed it,鈥 says Yee.

Little did she know that this early exposure to musical theatre would spark a passion for opera.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a space with a level of storytelling and high emotion and it really drew me in,鈥 she says.

What resonated with Yee was opera鈥檚 ability to merge two of her main interests 鈥 music and history. This combination also became a key factor in her decision to pursue studies at 蜜桃视频 Allison.

鈥淚 was looking at both history and music programs and 蜜桃视频 Allison had the most flexibility in terms of what I could do. I came to audition and fell in love with the place.鈥

Arriving in the fall of 2020, Yee found herself navigating a university experience that looked a little different than she had expected, but was determined to make the most of it.

In 2022, she got involved with the Halifax Summer Opera Festival and was impressed by the level of collaboration that went into every production.

鈥淭hey work with the actors,鈥 she says. 鈥淲e all have voice and agency in the process of creating.鈥

After a successful run in 2022, Yee took a leading role in the Festival鈥檚 production of Handel鈥檚 Serse in 2023, an experience she describes as both thrilling and terrifying.

鈥淚 had never had a role where I was learning that much music. But it showed me that all this training I have, it鈥檚 all prepared me well to be able to go to the next stage.鈥

Yee in the Halifax Summer Opera Festival's production of Serse, 2023 鈥 photo by James MacLean

Yee was supported in these endeavours by the Bragg Women Music Opportunities Fund, which provides financial support for students to take part in off-campus training and mentorship opportunities.

鈥淚 am heavily indebted to the Bragg Women Music Opportunities Fund,鈥 says Yee. 鈥淓very summer I鈥檝e been here, I鈥檝e taken the opportunity to utilize that support.鈥

In addition to supporting her time at the Halifax Festival, the Fund provided Yee with the opportunity to participate in the NUOVA Vocal Arts鈥檚 Ten-Day Development Program and the National Youth Choir of Canada, offering valuable experiential learning opportunities that complemented her studies.

Beyond opera, Yee serves as co-editor-in-chief of the Argosy, as President of the Music Student Society, works as the web and marketing technician at the Motyer-Fancy Theatre, serves as a teaching assistant, and actively participates in research. Last summer, she received an Independent Student Research Grant (ISRG) to explore ways to empower opera singers in rehearsal spaces, with the goal of reimagining the hierarchical and rigid structures of opera.

Yee conducting research with Dr. Linda Pearse

Since her first year, Yee has also been involved in Dr. Linda Pearse鈥檚 Sackville Undergraduate Music Research (SUMR) Diversity Lab, working on a project aimed at creating a database for music professors looking to diversify their curriculum.

Yee, who intends to continue her studies in performance at the graduate level and is currently in the running for the McCall MacBain Scholarship, says all these experiences have played a crucial role in helping her find her path.

鈥淚鈥檝e learned there is no one path through music,鈥 she says. 鈥淭here is no one path through the arts. I know so many people who have dipped their toes in many different things and used that to create a very creatively fulfilling career and life. I think that鈥檚 something I鈥檓 emulating through these activities.鈥