Emma Smith
Artist
Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival
Emma Smith studied double bass at the Royal College of Music where she was trained in classical double bass technique and repertoire. Building on the language of classical music, and exploring the story-telling aspect of folk music from different parts of the world, Emma forged a career as a versatile composer, improviser and collaborator. An advocate for gender balance in the arts, and as a Serious/Cryptic AirTime Artist, she produces the multi-genre series Bitches Brew, which showcases the best of female instrumental improvising talent and celebrates the increasingly diverse listening habits of people around the world. Emma is a Lead Trainer for Musicians Without Borders, exploring the use of music in conflict and post-conflict zones to 'bridge divides, connect communities, and heal the wounds of war', and as a 2019 BOOM Artist with Oxford Contemporary Music she explored the effect of trauma on our perception of time and space, and how this can be represented using music and visuals.