Violinist Emma Stiff is one of the six violinists who were selected for the 2026 National Youth Music Competition (NYMC).
Last year, only one violinist was selected for the four elimination rounds of the contest.
Hailing from Pretoria this 19 year old emerging star is a first year student at Stellenbosch University. She started playing the violin at the age of three, and her first music teacher was Dorothea Overbeck. Currently, she is tutored by Suzanne Martens.
She believes that participating in the NYMC is a crucial part of developing as a musician. “I entered the contest to challenge myself alongside some of the country’s best musicians, perform high-level repertoire on a prestigious stage, and share my love for music with a wider audience,” says Emma.
The talented musician also plays the piano and the saxophone. The violin is her favourite musical instrument.
Emma describes herself as “intentional”. Her motto in life is: “Everything always works out exactly as it should, and everything always happens for a reason, even when it doesn’t appear that way all the time.”
Moldovan-Austrian Violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja is her musical role model. “I admire her raw energy, fearless theatricality, the way she brings fresh, deeply expressive interpretations to every piece she plays, and how she is just herself on the stage,” she enthuses.
Emma has an older sister who is currently completing her Master’s degree in music. Since the rising star started her degree, she practices between four and six hours per day.
In her free time, she enjoys reading and crocheting, as well as making cards with stamps and scrapbooking materials.
Her favourite composer is Russian-Soviet Composer Dimitri Shostakovich because of the incredible contrast of emotions in his work. At one moment there is intense energy and anger, and in the next, a calm, pretty melody full of love. “I also love how he weaves recurring motifs throughout so many of his works,” she smiles.
Should she be able to be an inanimate object, her choice falls on a compass. “No matter how much the world moves around it, it always stays true to its core direction and purpose,” says Emma
On completion of her studies, the talented violinist aims to become a professional performer, whether as a soloist, an orchestral musician, or an ensemble member. She also plans to teach, “as passing on musical knowledge is something I view as vital and fulfilling.”