Yorktown Arts Spotlight: Wherever Emily Tian goes, music is sure to follow

YORKTOWN, N.Y. — As Emily Tian prepares to graduate from Yorktown High School, she reflects on the lasting impact of her time in the orchestra and the fulfillment that her love for music has brought her. Wise beyond her years, the senior’s journey with music started at an early age—yet is only just beginning. We caught up with Tian in early February.

When and why did you develop a passion for making music?

I started playing the cello in fifth grade, but I’d been playing piano since kindergarten. My sister had the biggest influence on my initial interest in studying music. As a toddler, I would sit in on her piano lessons, so I begged my mom to let me take lessons too. In fifth grade, when we got to pick an instrument in school, I considered every instrument in the orchestra, as well as the trumpet and percussion. However, I settled on the cello because I loved listening to Yo-Yo Ma in the car. I was drawn to the cello’s richness, versatility, and range similar to the human voice, and these are still my favorite qualities.  

Do you plan to continue performing after high school? 

Yes, I plan to continue playing the cello in college, whether in the symphony orchestra, cello choir, chamber groups, or music electives. I’m not sure where I’ll be going yet, but I know music will be core to my college experience wherever that is. 

Who inspires you? 

My cello teacher Ms. Julie August inspires me to embrace my individuality in music. She reminds me to trust myself when performing and share the gift of music at every opportunity. She also introduced me to Jacqueline du Pré, one of the greatest cellists of all time. Jacqueline du Pré’s performance of Dvořák Cello Concerto at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Sept. 2, 1968, inspires my own playing. Her passionate interpretation encourages me to be bold, and her bounce back after breaking a string motivates me to keep going whenever I make a mistake. Above all, her performance reminds me that music is bigger than myself. She played to bring hope to the Czech people during the Cold War*. When I play, I hope to make an impact, no matter how small. 

What is it about the performing arts that you love? 

Being part of the orchestra feels like a team. We spend every day learning from one another and improving together. I love all the spontaneous moments we have together—whether we’re pranking our conductor for their birthday by playing “Happy Birthday” as a surprise or getting together after school to play a Studio Ghibli piece in the orange practice room, reading off haphazardly placed Chromebooks. I have experienced some of my best memories and found my best friends through the orchestra. 

What do you do in your free time? 

I like to do a mix of indoor and outdoor activities. I love solving all sorts of puzzles—math puzzles, language puzzles, riddles, you name it. I also enjoy making crafts with random materials lying around the house and watching movies with family and friends. I’m a huge Pixar and Studio Ghibli fan and spend a decent amount of time analyzing plots and details while listening to the beautiful soundtracks playing in the background. I also like to go for long runs, play soccer, and hike with family and friends. 

Pick the top five songs you would put on your playlist or a mix tape. 

It’s so hard to choose! This is only a small subset of all the songs that I could list here:  

“Azul” by Osvaldo Golijov 

“Way Down Hadestown” from Hadestown 

“Scheherazade” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov 

“The Girl Who Fell from the Sky” from Castle in the Sky 

“Drops of Jupiter” by Train 

*Editor's note: In August 1968, the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies invaded what was then Czechoslovakia in response to reforms known as the Prague Spring, a popular movement to loosen the communist government's control over the Czech people.