About Emma

Emma Mildred Cowell is a soprano, accompanist, and music historian specializing in art song, early music, and sacred music. Ms. Cowell holds degrees in Voice Performance (B.A., Geneva College) and Music History (M.M., Youngstown State University). Ms. Cowell serves on the faculty of Willamette University, as instructor of voice and repetiteur for the University’s opera program. She is Co-Artistic Director of Ensemble Boulanger, a Portland-based chamber collaboration dedicated to crafting engaging lecture-recitals of music by women. She is also Minister of Music at Ascension Episcopal Parish, and a soprano with Cantores in Ecclesia. Ms. Cowell has appeared as soloist with The Bach Cantata Choir and The Oregon Chorale, and performed roles in several Gilbert & Sullivan operas with Light Opera of Portland. Recent stage appearances include roles in Ruddigore, Trial by Jury, and a portrayal of Enlightenment harpsichordist Sara Levy in The Musical Salon of Sara Levy, a concert and theater performance by the Bach Cantata Choir and Orchestra for which Ms. Cowell also served as musicological consultant and scriptwriter. As an accompanist, Ms. Cowell’s recent collaborations include projects with Ping & Woof Opera and an array of Lieder recitals with Pacific Northwest singers.