Born and raised in Arizona, Emily Yates is a seasoned cellist who began her musical journey as a young child. While learning the cello she began to develop an intense passion for classical music, leading her to join many local music camps and symphonies. It was this passion and collection of musical experiences that led Emily to acquire her Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and Cello Performance at Northern Arizona University in 2014.

Emily has taught cello privately for more than 10 years, as well as teaching in a public school setting for several years. These include her time as a Music Teacher at Amberlea School and in the Queen Creek Unified School District, teaching for both orchestra and band classes. During her time as a music educator, Emily has collaborated with many other music teachers and musicians. This includes performing in not one but two folk bands, both of which she continues to be an active member of in her free time.

When she is not playing cello or teaching music, Emily enjoys spending her time either in the great outdoors—from hiking the Grand Canyon to rafting white water rapids—or with her family. She and her family are also frequently volunteering within their community, aspiring to make the world a better place than when they entered it.

It is Emily’s belief that “mastering an instrument is one of the highest forms of learning a human being can accomplish.”