Emera Kandybin

Award-winning American violinist Emera Kandybin, a native of South Dakota, is celebrated for her captivating, elegant sound and versatile artistry. She has performed on major stages around the world, including Carnegie Hall, David Geffen Hall, Severance Hall, and the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. As a soloist, she has appeared with the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, and Minnesota Sinfonia.

Chamber music is central to Emera’s artistic life. She has performed with ChamberFest Cleveland, the Chamber Music Society of Ohio, and the Nashville Chamber Music Society. As a member of the Elless Quartet, she toured throughout North America and collaborated with Phil Setzer of the Emerson String Quartet and pianist Si-Yan Li. With the Almas Quartet, she won first prize at the 27th Annual Darius Milhaud Performance Prize Competition and was invited on multiple occasions to the McGill International String Quartet Academy. Both ensembles earned recognition in competitions including the Chesapeake International Chamber Music Competition and the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.

Emera’s orchestral experience includes serving as concertmaster of the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra and the World Youth Symphony Orchestra, as well as performing with the New World Symphony, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, and Apollo Orchestra. She is delighted to join the first violin section of the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra and also serves as concertmaster of the Southwest Minnesota Orchestra, in addition to performing frequently with the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra.

Alongside her performing career, Emera maintains a private violin studio and teaches violin and music history during the summers at StringTime. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Violin Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music. She recently returned to Sioux Falls with her husband, conductor and violinist Sasha Kandybin, following his appointment as Assistant Conductor of the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra.