Emily Wood

A Bachophile with love for church modes and weirdly pretty melodies, Emily Valenzuela (née Wood) is a soprano and composer who has impressed by her musical sensitivity and attention to detail. She has sung across the country and internationally, and she has made television appearances singing in choruses for Jackie Evancho on The American Giving Awards and for Esmeralda Spalding on the Academy Awards. Her solo recitals have championed unusual repertoire in minority languages including Swedish and Norwegian. To edify and inspire, Emily engages her audiences by performing and composing with diligent scholarship, sincere passion, and a hint of wit.

An avid choral artist in high demand, Emily has been noted for her excellent musicianship. Professional choral engagements outside the church include the early music consort Vox Obscura, Voces8’s US Scholars Program, the Pacific Chorale, and a section leader position at Idyllwild Arts Festival’s high school Choral Intensive. She has sung under the batons of Robert Istad, John Alexander, Carl St. Clair, Lori Loftus, Brian Schmidt, Michael Busch, and Joe Modica. Valenzuela has had the pleasure of singing on choir tours in Germany (including the Thomaskirche, a beautiful experience she’ll never forget!), Ireland, and Canada as well as Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii. Passionate for music ministry, Emily has been a professional church musician since high school. During her graduate study in Waco, TX, she served as a staff singer at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church. She has also served as a worship leader and choral section leader at Presbyterian Church of the Master (Mission Viejo, CA), Abiding Savior Lutheran Church (Lake Forest, CA), and other California churches. At PCOM, Emily directed the Salt and Light Singers, a children’s choir for whom she utilized her unique skill set by composing for them as well as accompanying, teaching, and conducting them.

As a soloist, Emily has sung in a variety of settings. Opera roles with Baylor Opera Theatre include Poppea and Fortuna in L’incoronazione di Poppea, Serpina in La serva padrona, and the title role in Tom Cipullo’s Lucy. In choral settings, she has been a soloist in Bach’s Magnificat, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, and Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem, among others. She delights in recital repertoire: her lecture-recital, “Debussy and Mélodie: Analyzing the Literary-Musical Dialogue in Selected Songs by Claude Debussy,” won Third Place in Concordia University’s President’s Academic Showcase. Her performed repertoire ranges from Monteverdi to Larsen and her own works as well as the non-classical styles of jazz, pop, Christian contemporary, light gospel, and musical theatre. As a vocalist, Valenzuela has been honored with Third Place (Classical) in the NATS-LA Collegiate Competition and First Place (Musical Theatre) and Third Place (Classical) in the NATS-LA regional competition. She was also recognized as an Outstanding Member of Baylor Opera Theatre.

Emily’s keyboard skills have also given her many opportunities as pianist and organist. She has played as a solo pianist in college honors recitals and volunteer events as well as countless student recitals. Accolades include a scholarship award from Sigma Alpha Iota, the Angels for the Arts award from Saddleback College, and Honors recognition and Convention eligibility in MTAC's Certificate of Merit program. As an organist, she has won two scholarship awards from the Orange County American Guild of Organists. She has participated in masterclasses with Daniel Pollack, Chih Long-Hu, Irene Peery-Fox, and Benjamin Kolodziej, and she has studied with Tom Mueller, HyeJung Shin, Kirill Gliadkovsky, and Hyunjoo Choi. Emily has also performed in a variety of piano ensembles.

Valenzuela has studied voice with Amy Petrongelli, Karla Kniss, and Scott Farthing. As a Young Artist at SongFest and the Collaborative Piano Institute Vocal Academy, she has worked with Martin Katz, Lisette Oropesa, Sylvia McNair, Alan Smith, Kyle Ferrill, Frances Young-Bennett, and composers Libby Larsen and John Musto. Emily holds degrees from Baylor University, Concordia University Irvine, and Saddleback College with several honors and awards. She is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda.