Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, Emily Paul is a recent Cum Laude graduate of The University of Northern Iowa. At UNI, she earned a Bachelor of Music (B.M.) in Flute Performance under the tutelage of Dr. Hannah Porter Occeña, alongside a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Performing Arts Management. She coupled her degrees with minors in Psychology and Sexuality, Women’s, and Gender Studies.
Emily will continue her studies at Arizona State University in the fall to pursue a Master of Music degree in Flute Performance Pedagogy under Dr. Elizabeth Buck.
Known for her expressive tone and thoughtful musicality, Emily has served as principal flutist with the Northern Iowa Symphony Orchestra, Northern Iowa Wind Ensemble, Northern Iowa Flute Choir, and various chamber ensembles. A passionate collaborator, she enjoys working with student composers and colleagues to commission and premiere new works. Her most recent passion project titled “Embodiment: A Multi-Media Recital,” included a collaboration with faculty and colleagues to perform a program of standard repertoire with accompanied original works of art, dance, and poetry that embodied the music. This recital also featured a commission of an original composition by Rylee Scheel for flute, clarinet, bassoon, and horn that embodies the four cats Emily lived with while residing in Cedar Falls, IA.
Emily has received numerous awards and recognitions from organizations including the Des Moines Women’s Club, the Flute New Music Consortium, the Schubert Club, the Presser Foundation, Sigma Alpha Iota, and the University of Northern Iowa. Most notably, she won the University of Northern Iowa Instrumental Concerto Competition in 2022 with Frank Martin’s Ballade and performed alongside the Northern Iowa Symphony Orchestra in the Catherine Cassidy Great Hall of the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center. She has also performed internationally in Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic, France, and Italy.
Beyond the stage, Emily is a dedicated arts leader and educator. In addition to serving a term as a senator in the Northern Iowa Student Government, founding multiple student organizations, and sitting in the School of Music Student Advisory Board, she also simultaneously worked numerous jobs. She was nominated for University of Northern Iowa Student Employee of the Year while serving as Music Librarian for the Northern Iowa Symphony Orchestra, Lead Peer Educator for the School of Music, and a Music Ambassador. She has served as the Des Moines Symphony’s Summer Development Intern and was recently selected for an internship with the National Flute Association 2026 Convention in Portland, OR. She is also a proud recent alumna of the Alpha Upsilon Chapter of the International Music Fraternity, Sigma Alpha Iota, where she served as President, Treasurer, Editor, and chair of several committees.
Emily currently works as the Music Librarian for the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra and teaches private flute lessons as an instructor for the UNI Community Music School. With over nine years of private teaching experience, she is committed to accessible, adaptive, and inclusive instruction for students of all ages and backgrounds.
