Emma Cifrino is a violist and violinist who earned her DMA at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Emma began her studies with Betsy Kobayashi at the Pineland Suzuki School in Augusta, ME. She holds a B.Mus from Lawrence University, and an M.Mus from Bowling Green State University. At Bowling Green she was a member of the Graduate String Quartet and served as principal viola in the Bowling Green Philharmonia. Emma has almost a decade of experience teaching students of all ages and levels. She believes that her primary duty as a music educator is to produce students who are respectful of the art of music-making. This means instilling students with good practice habits, encouraging participation in chamber ensembles, and modeling a scholarly – but enthusiastic –  approach to performance. Emma joined the Academy of Sound faculty in 2017.