Emily Zirlin

Dr. Emily Zirlin, native of Dallas, Texas, is a performer and teacher in the Houston, Texas area. She holds degrees from the University of Georgia (Doctor of Musical Arts in Flute Performance), the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University (Master of Music and Performance Diploma), and Louisiana State University (Bachelor of Music Performance). While at the Hodgson School, she wrote her dissertation, “A Performer’s Guide to Works Commissioned by the National Flute Association Young Artist Competition: Bun-Ching Lam, Wayne Horvitz, and Michael Fiday” focusing on cutting edge repertoire for the flute. She has studied, taught, and performed across the United States, Canada, Panama, China, and Hong Kong. 

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Dr. Zirlin has performed with the Dallas Pops and Dallas Winds and participated in summer programs such as Flutissimo!, Orford Center for the Arts, and the Malibu Flute Symposium. She has studied and performed in masterclasses with Emmanuel Pahud, Carol Wincenc, Robert Langevin, Leone Buyse, Ian Clarke, Demarre McGill, Jill Felber, Christina Jennings, Susan Milan, Bonita Boyd, and Amy Porter. She has won top prizes at the Flutissimo! Young Artist Competition, Louisiana Music Teachers National Association Solo Competition, Georgia MTNA Chamber Music Competition, Music Club of Baton Rouge, Louisiana Flute Society Undergraduate Solo Repertoire Contest, and was selected to perform at the Florida Flute Association Convention Advanced Masterclass for Leone Buyse. 

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Her students have performed with All-State and All-Region bands in Texas, Louisiana, and Georgia and have won positions in youth orchestras and performing arts schools. Many of her students have continued with their flute studies in college majoring in music performance and music education. She has presented lectures on flute pedagogy, extended techniques for the flute, music history, and is an avid music educator with experience teaching ESL to ages Pre-K and up.