Formed in 2015, Artemisia Duo is an ensemble comprised of flutist Emily Richardson and pianist Susan Xia. The name Artemisia draws upon the root “Artemis”, the Greek goddess of wild animals and the moon. It also has a long history in the arts as the name of an accomplished female painter in the Baroque period. In addition, the word Artemisia combines segments of each of the members’ names with the word “art”, signifying their collaborative approach to creating music.

 

Artemisia Duo has performed as part of the UBC Tunes at Noon Series, VSO Day of Music, and the Concerts in Care program. Emily and Susan are committed to increasing community engagement in the arts, and perform outreach concerts in order to give back to the community. While they enjoy playing various genres and styles of music, they are especially passionate about making classical music accessible to all audiences. Additionally, they also have a deep interest in exploring contemporary music and emerging pieces of the flute and piano canon, including working with local composers.

 

Both graduates of the UBC School of Music, Emily and Susan have learned from renowned musicians including Corey Hamm and Christie Reside, and as a duo have been coached by Terence Dawson. They have both made names for themselves, with Emily selected as a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada for 2018 and Susan performing in the Canadian Music Centre Documentary Film Festival Concert.