Bio

Emelie Pfaff is a horn player, teacher, arts administrator, certified yoga instructor, and enthusiastic collector of hobbies—because apparently playing one of the most challenging instruments in the orchestra wasn’t enough!

Emelie holds a Master of Music in Performance from Colorado State University (2017), as well as Bachelor of Music degrees in Performance and Music Theory from the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance. Her musical adventures have taken her across the United States and around the world, including Europe and Japan, performing with ensembles such as the Fountain City Brass Band, Athena Brass Band, Colorado Brass, UMKC Wind Symphony, CSU Wind Symphony and Orchestra, St. Joseph Symphony, Kinnor Philharmonic, Loveland Orchestra, and many others.

She has performed at music education conferences and festivals across the country and internationally, including the International Women’s Brass Conference, International Horn Conference, International Tuba Euphonium Conference, CBDNA, The Midwest Clinic, and Lieksa Brass Week. During her time with the Fountain City Brass Band, Emelie won three U.S. Open Championships and a North American Brass Band Championship, and also competed internationally at the All England Masters and Euro Brass Competition.

A lifelong chamber musician and brass quintet enthusiast, Emelie has studied with outstanding teachers and coaches including Theresa McCalley, Ellen Campbell, Thomas Bacon, Martin Hackleman, John McGuire, Thomas Stein, and Caleb Hudson.

These days, Emelie wears several hats—sometimes figuratively, although probably not while playing horn. She currently serves as Adjunct Music Faculty at Flathead Valley Community College, where she teaches horn and trumpet, and as Operations Manager for the Glacier Symphony Orchestra and Chorale. She is also a member of the National Association of Music Merchants Young Professionals (NAMMYP) and Smart Women in Music (SWIM).

When she’s not making music or keeping an arts organization running, Emelie can usually be found teaching or practicing yoga, exploring the outdoors, planning her next travel adventure, sampling a good craft cocktail, or spending entirely too much time in the kitchen baking and cooking something delicious. She is passionate about helping students build strong fundamentals, develop sustainable musical lives, and stay curious enough to keep learning long after the lesson ends.

Emelie plays a custom YHR-871U French horn with a gold-plated Schilke 29 mouthpiece and a Geneva Cardinal tenor horn with a Dennis Wick 5 mouthpiece. 

To learn more about Emelie's career, listen to this episode of Boomer Music Company's podcast!