Emily is an innovative harpist, vocalist, violinist and electronic loop artist based in Launceston, Tasmania.
Emily is passionate about performance and the harp lends itself to this with its dramatic appearance and captivating sound. Emily has a unique and engaging performance style which is far from traditional.
Emily specialises in creating original compositions, covers with a twist, improvisations and experimentation with percussion, electronic effects and looping. She also plays a wide range of musical genres including traditional, folk, jazz, blues & classical.
Emily relishes any opportunity to depart from the type of music audiences expect to hear from a harp. With the use of her loopstation, Emily is able to combine harp, vocals, violin, percussion and pedal effects into her solo performance creating a complex, multi-layered sound. She is also able to present the harp as a solo acoustic instrument for a traditional sound when the occasion requires it.
“You are simply wonderful, thank you for your magic” Kate Ceberano
“Emily has single-handedly created a uniquely Tasmanian musical world using an old world instrument; the harp. Her music communicates easily with an extremely wide range of people”
Brian Ritchie; Bassist – Violent Femmes
Emily is a versatile performer, with experience in numerous solo and collaborative performance contexts.
Emily has completed multiple as a solo residencies at MONA during 2023 & 2022. Emily will be returning for a third residency for 6 weeks in late 2024; in ‘Emily Sanzaro’s Room of Dreams’ where she explores her sleep disorder as a conduit for her composition and performative process.
Emily released her debut solo album of original contemporary music; ‘AWAKEN’ in 2021 with the support of a grant from the Arts Tasmania ‘Contemporary Music Fund’. This album was launched with 5 sold out live performances as part of MONA FOMA 2022 at the QVMAG Planetarium along with Emily’s original film projections. She continues to release new original music.
Other performances include TEDxHobart (2022), Dark Mofo (2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017 & 2016), MONA FOMA (2022, 2021, 2020 & 2019), Ten Days on the Island collaboration with Tasdance (2023 & 2021), FARO Music Cluster @ MONA (2020 – present), MOFO Sessions (2019 & 2018), Beaker Street Science Festival (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 & 2019), ECHO Festival (2022 & 2019), Junction Arts Festival (2024, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2017 & 2016), Taste of Tasmania (2020 & 2019), Artist in Residence with Tasmanian Walking Company (2023 & 2022) along with multiple live radio broadcasts with ABC radio. Emily contributed as a sessional recording artist for Holy Holy’s ARIA nominated album ‘Hello My Beautiful World’.
Emily attended the Australian Art Orchestra ‘Creative Music Intensive’ in 2019 as a recipient of a MONA full scholarship and is an active member of Launceston’s ‘Composers’ Cage Collective’.
Emily has a close working relationship with Tasdance, has performed on multiple occasions with the Launceston Philharmonic Orchestra and has served as president of the Harp Society of Tasmania. Emily is also a registered Occupational Therapist and works as a therapeutic harpist playing her small harp at the beside for palliative patients in the last stages of their life.
Emily has taken an unconventional path to the harp, commencing learning the instrument in her late twenties.
Emily is an avid bushwalker and takes her small harp into the Tasmanian wilderness whenever possible with her bespoke Macpac backpack.