Emer Kinsella
Film Composer, Violinist & Ambient Sound Artist

Sandeep Kulkarni (00:01.858) Today's guest is Emer, an Irish violinist, composer, and sonic innovator based in Los Angeles.

Emer Kinsella (00:09.326) Can I interrupt you? Sorry, it's pronounced Emer.

Sandeep Kulkarni (00:13.239) Yes, Emer! See, that's so important. It's so funny because when Suraaj first told me about you, I initially thought of the name Emmer. Throughout my career, I've known at least five or six people named Emer. It is great to clarify. Let's go!

Sandeep Kulkarni (00:44.322) Today's guest is Emer, an Irish violinist, composer, and sonic innovator based in Los Angeles. Originally from Dublin, she left home at 18 and lived across Europe and the US before building an independent career in LA. Her work lives at the intersection of classical strings, electronic textures, and cinematic soundscapes. Her immersive concert experiences transform traditional spaces into shared, multi-sensory journeys.

Suraaj Parab (01:16.466) Welcome, Emer, to The Artist Conversation, the Sanctuary of Frozen Souls podcast.

Emer Kinsella (01:22.284) Hi, thanks for having me. Lovely to be on today.

Sandeep Kulkarni (01:26.178) Thank you for joining the podcast. Getting right into it, Emer—you left Dublin at 18 and lived across Austria, Germany, Chicago, and eventually Los Angeles. What did all that movement teach you about your identity and about trusting yourself before your path was clear?

Emer Kinsella (01:48.526) I discovered different parts of myself as I moved around. I often like to think of it like a hero's journey of self-discovery. Leaving after high school allowed me to discover new communities along the way. Music gave me the mobility to move around all these different countries—I’ve lived in five different nations now. I absorbed different cultures and traditions that eventually wound their way into my music.

Sandeep Kulkarni (02:37.74) That's amazing. Five different countries! Which one has been your favorite, if I may ask?

Emer Kinsella (02:43.47) I really liked Austria, and I truly enjoy living here in the United States. In terms of my identity, I've taken a bit from everywhere, creating a tapestry from different places. Each location developed my identity in distinct ways. That's why I like to create hybrid mixes of things, which naturally reflects my personal journey.

Sandeep Kulkarni (03:14.744) When I was listening to your work, those multicultural influences felt very evident. Being in those varied environments clearly left an imprint, which is why I was very curious to ask you about it.

Emer Kinsella (03:33.528) Everywhere you spend enough time does imprint onto your work and your voice. Being able to pull from different things I've discovered in those cities has definitely had a major influence on my music.

Suraaj Parab (03:59.942) What was it like every time you moved to a new city, starting your life completely from scratch and learning a brand-new culture?

Emer Kinsella (04:20.142) I'm pretty good at just stepping into the unknown and figuring things out as I go. When I left Dublin, I studied in London, and then I found my way to Vienna and Salzburg. At first, it can be daunting, but within the music and entertainment community, there are so many interesting and creative people that you immediately feel supported.

It makes it easier to step into your own world. Each place was welcoming and allowed me to discover new things. Because of the creative people I surrounded myself with, building a life along the way became a little easier. Even though I am often starting from scratch, I figure things out quickly by meeting people and getting involved in the local scene right away.

Sandeep Kulkarni (05:34.552) Salzburg is an incredible place—the home of Mozart and amazing museums. I've actually been there myself.

Emer Kinsella (05:46.008) Yes! I went to Salzburg to attend summer masterclasses while I was studying in London, and it opened up a whole new world for me. Salzburg is incredibly beautiful and has such a rich musical tradition.

Sandeep Kulkarni (06:02.816) It really does. I was there three or four years ago in December. It was definitely very cold, but it was beautiful to walk through the museums and take everything in.

Your music explicitly bridges classical violin, electronic production, and cinematic scoring. How did you give yourself permission to blend creative worlds that are so often kept separate?

Emer Kinsella (06:39.432) Growing up as a classical musician, you are trained in a very specific realm that exists within its own rigid walls. Even when I was younger, I would sing ideas to myself and want to break down those barriers to build bridges. I gave myself permission by just following what sounded interesting to me, asking, How can I step out of the box and blend other things?

When I was doing my undergrad at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, I took a random electronic music elective. I started experimenting with these new sounds in Logic, and I also tried a media composition class. I realized it opened up a whole other sound world. Blending those modern elements with my classical background became the exact sonic signature I loved.

Sandeep Kulkarni (07:55.65) Coming from a traditional classical background to electronic production is a massive leap into two completely different worlds. Beyond the classroom, what did you try to explore first with all of that classical knowledge in hand?

Emer Kinsella (08:35.648) First, I wrote a rap song! I've always loved spoken word as well, so I wrote a piece and started experimenting with electronics underneath it. Then I started performing my own original works in small band venues where I could try something entirely different from classical performance. That's where I really began blending live electronics with the violin and strings, which continued to open up new worlds for me. Discovering film music over the years helped me expand on that hybrid concept.

Sandeep Kulkarni (09:35.36) Did you carry those electronic elements directly into your cinematic scoring work?

Emer Kinsella (09:55.31) Yes, that's exactly where I was able to continue blending electronics with strings and orchestral instruments. Discovering electronic production was a massive turning point in my life, so I had to include it. I’ve always been a fan of film scores by Philip Glass, Michael Nyman, and Clint Mansell—who beautifully combines chamber music with electronic elements. I’ve always favored the intimacy of smaller string sounds paired with electronic textures.

Sandeep Kulkarni (10:40.376) When you began playing this hybrid music live, what was the reaction from audiences who originally knew you strictly as a classical musician?

Emer Kinsella (11:20.19) People immediately noticed I was doing something different. I’ve become known for experimenting with new musical ideas and unusual locations. For instance, when I was living in Vienna, I found an abandoned building and brought in a string quartet paired with an accordion player. The instrumentation was acoustic—accordion, two violins, and a cello—but I wrote the piece in a highly cinematic way.

We performed directly out of the windows of the abandoned building. The building had a circular courtyard, so the audience stood in the center and experienced the sound swirling around them. We performed from the rooftop, moved down through the building, and finished at the bottom. I'm always looking for innovative ways to present music to an audience by playing with environments and sounds.

Sandeep Kulkarni (12:34.616) It sounds almost like a hybrid sound-and-performance art installation.

Emer Kinsella (12:42.796) A little bit, yes, but with fully written, structured music for the concert.

Suraaj Parab (12:50.622) Speaking of blending different worlds, I saw on your Instagram stories that you are pressing your albums onto custom vinyl, including a limited-edition golden vinyl for your fans. Music mediums have shifted drastically from vinyl to cassettes, CDs, and now streaming. In 2026, your fans are still eager to buy physical records. How do you view the role of vinyl today?

Emer Kinsella (13:47.054) Sharing the album online and performing it live is great, but in an era dominated by streaming, it is incredibly special to have a physical medium you can touch and hold. Vinyl allows fans to support us in a tangible way. Now that vinyl has made a major comeback in popularity, it felt like the perfect time to press this album.

I actually got to go to the pressing plant in LA this week to see the entire manufacturing process. It was incredible to watch the vinyl go into the machine and see the finished record come out. I’m discovering my own project in a new way by listening to it on a record player. The playback sounds familiar, but it has a completely different warmth. It’s vital to have alternative distribution methods beyond streaming because digital music online can be so ephemeral—you hear it once, and then it’s gone.

Sandeep Kulkarni (15:41.014) If I ever get to meet you in LA, I'll definitely pick up a copy.

Suraaj Parab (15:46.866) I live in Mumbai, but please save a signed copy of that golden vinyl for me! It looks absolutely beautiful.

Emer Kinsella (15:56.007) Yes, the golden color turned out great.

Sandeep Kulkarni (15:58.588) I have an LP player at home. My dad used to collect classical LPs; he traveled to Germany frequently and bought records of Mozart and Bach. Growing up in Bombay, he would play them constantly. As a kid, I didn't fully understand the music, but it was always there in the background. Your vinyl story completely took me back to that memory. Now, my wife and I play vinyl every single Sunday morning.

Suraaj Parab (16:57.68) Moving ahead, Emer—you studied film scoring but you also produce these highly immersive live shows. How does your storytelling process shift when you are composing for a live audience versus scoring for a film where people are watching a screen?

Emer Kinsella (17:24.11) Storytelling is the definitive through-line that connects everything I do, regardless of the medium. In film scoring, I am stepping directly into the pre-established psychology of a character or a world built by a director, and I love fitting my music into those boundaries.

With my immersive concerts, I act as a concept creator. I design the core concept and pair it with a meaningful location. I've produced outdoor, site-specific shows as well as indoor theater productions. I love curating the program to see how the story connects through the music to the physical space. Even when I was strictly studying classical solo violin pieces, I would constantly map out an internal narrative for the performance. Storytelling and conceptual design are what drive me to produce these concerts.

Sandeep Kulkarni (19:07.028) When you are composing a new piece, what usually sparks the process first? Is it an emotion, an image, a texture, or physical movement?

Emer Kinsella (19:30.752) It varies, but emotion is always the core foundation. For a film, I analyze the script or map out the primary emotional beats of a scene. For my album, the material came together over a period of time where water naturally became the central theme. The emotional weight transfers through me as I write.

Regarding movement, I frequently collaborate with dancers for my live shows. When I was living in Vienna, I actually named my live experiences Emirate in Motion. The connection between music and physical movement is exactly how my brain processes sound, so movement is a massive factor.

Sandeep Kulkarni (21:02.016) Visual components and musical textures seem naturally embedded in that entire production process.

Emer Kinsella (21:13.664) Absolutely. Visuals and music combine to create a much more lasting impact. Personally, when I hear a piece of music connected to striking cinematography, the meaning doubles. When I look at a scene, I focus heavily on ensuring the musical texture matches the exact tone of the film's visuals.

Sandeep Kulkarni (21:51.32) Overseeing the concepts, the dancers, and the live musicians means you are managing a massive, full-scale production. That is an immense amount of coordination. Do you have a permanent team here in LA to help you execute these ideas?

Emer Kinsella (22:38.644) I bring in different specialist collaborators depending on the specific project. For the choreography, I work with a brilliant movement artist named Freedom and his cohort; they have an epic, physical style that pairs beautifully with cinematic music. My live musicians are the Immersion Ensemble, a dedicated group of LA string players featured on my album who have performed with me over the last few years. I oversee all the moving parts of the production, which is intense, but I love bringing talented collaborators together.

Sandeep Kulkarni (23:26.636) Managing that many distinct creative personalities takes an immense amount of patience and logistics.

Emer Kinsella (23:36.558) It really does. We produced a major show at the Kirk Douglas Theatre last August with nearly 300 people in attendance. It requires managing a lot of moving parts simultaneously, but finding excellent collaborators makes the process incredibly rewarding.

Suraaj Parab (24:25.81) Handling all of these creative and logistical dimensions yourself shows how multi-talented you are. Massive respect for that.

Sandeep Kulkarni (24:35.36) Huge respect. As performers, Suraaj and I know exactly what goes into building a show from the ground up. I have an Indian rock band based in LA, and we used to produce shows down in the Arts District and on Sunset Boulevard. Getting everyone on the same page at the same time is a massive job in itself. Hats off to you for acting as the conductor for everything.

Emer Kinsella (25:12.418) Thank you, I really appreciate that. It definitely feels like conducting a massive machine sometimes.

Suraaj Parab (25:14.108) Through your immersive shows, you literally transform venues into multi-sensory environments that blur the boundary between the stage and the audience. What do you think audiences are truly seeking when they step into these immersive spaces?

Emer Kinsella (25:44.268) They are seeking community, connection, and a breakdown of traditional perspectives. They want something that disrupts what a conventional concert is "supposed" to look like. I try to build an entirely new world for them to step into, which allows them to explore their own internal worlds.

In-person events are vital today. Composers are so accustomed to isolating themselves in studios behind computers, so these shows give them a rare chance to step out, collaborate with live musicians, and hear their works performed.

I alter the concept for every single event to make it more immersive. For my very first show, we performed on a hiking trail at the top of the Baldwin Hills Overlook in Culver City. We partnered with a virtual reality company that provided headsets, allowing the audience to view immersive VR visuals while walking around to discover live music performance spots scattered across the overlook. I am always looking to push into next steps, like potentially collaborating with immersive visual artists or exploring new digital domains.

Sandeep Kulkarni (27:46.432) Have you ever thought about integrating holograms to bring historical figures or abstract visuals to life on stage next to you?

Emer Kinsella (27:50.542) I haven't done that yet, but I am absolutely open to having conversations with creators who operate in those spaces.

Sandeep Kulkarni (28:02.872) It reminds me of my time working at a VFX studio in Venice Beach. Our commercial studio was right next to Gold's Gym on Third and Main, and we also had a massive stage down in Playa Vista. I was actually on set for the production where we created the famous Tupac Shakur hologram for Dr. Dre at Coachella. With modern creative technology and the massive wave of AI developments happening right now, the immersive production possibilities are endless. I work for a creative tech company, so my entire day is spent figuring out how to build new tools using AI. It's wild, but it opens up incredible doors for performance art.

Sandeep Kulkarni (29:57.878) Your debut album, Concurrence, deeply explores themes of interconnectedness and resilience, and was released in partnership with Camerata Records as a highly independent project. What did this specific record demand of you creatively and personally compared to your earlier work?

Emer Kinsella (30:56.43) This album required me to delve much deeper inside myself. The core concept of Concurrence centers on the coexisting forces that live within us and within society, and how we navigate those forces to find true internal alignment. The different tracks represent chapters of my life here in LA over the past ten years. Because I regularly rehearsed and performed this material live with my ensembles, the deep connection within the group naturally infused itself into the recording.

Musically, it goes much deeper into that water imagery—the feeling of being lost at sea and learning how to navigate turbulent waves to find your path in life. The project took on a definitive life of its own, and the energy of everyone involved heavily impacted the final sound. It is an incredibly special milestone for me because I had wanted to release a definitive album for a very long time.

Sandeep Kulkarni (32:43.542) Did you handle the entire tracking and production process directly in Los Angeles?

Emer Kinsella (32:50.67) Yes, it was recorded entirely in LA. We tracked the instruments at a studio tucked away in Topanga Canyon.

Sandeep Kulkarni (33:07.222) Topanga Canyon is a stunning, beautiful location in the LA mountains. Producing your own independent album brings an immense sense of satisfaction. You question your choices throughout the tracking process, but when you finally receive the final master copy and listen to it for the first time, that feeling is unmatched.

Emer Kinsella (33:45.3) Exactly. It’s like assembling a complex jigsaw puzzle—balancing the recording, the video components, the mixing, and then coordinating with my mastering engineer on the East Coast. An album truly feels like a baby you are physically bringing to life and introducing to the world. Having that core creative concept transition from initial fruition to a final physical vinyl is incredibly fulfilling.

Suraaj Parab (34:41.01) Your violin execution is stellar; it sounds incredibly advanced and mesmerizing. How did your journey as a violinist originally begin? Was it your very first instrument?

Emer Kinsella (35:19.692) I actually started playing the violin at the age of two and a half.

Suraaj Parab (35:24.326) Wow! Two and a half?

Sandeep Kulkarni Who placed a violin in the hands of a two-and-a-half-year-old? Was it your mother or your father?

Emer Kinsella (03:29.998) My mother. She found an advertisement in the local newspaper for a Hungarian violin teacher who specialized in early childhood instruction, and she said, "We’re going to get started!" I have played my entire life.

I grew up performing as a classical soloist and eventually attended a music conservatoire for violin performance. Today, the violin functions as my definitive voice through composition. I use it texturally and minimally, but my specific violin tone is completely intrinsic to the sonic worlds I construct. It brings a raw, poignant, and intimate quality to my writing that stems directly from my background as a live performer.

Sandeep Kulkarni (06:37.368) Having a formal violin instructor at two and a half is unbelievable. Do you hold any actual memories from that early training phase?

Emer Kinsella (36:50.058) I remember small fragments. I recently uncovered a photo from that exact period, and my bow arm alignment looks surprisingly accurate, as if I had already been playing for a while!

Suraaj Parab (37:13.778) You frequently touch on themes of community and belonging. How do you intentionally construct these performance spaces to ensure the audience connects deeply with the music, with each other, and with themselves?

Emer Kinsella (37:34.572) Connection and belonging are the core concepts driving both my album and my live events. There is a massive amount of isolation and disconnection in modern society, and navigating life can make it difficult to find yourself. Bringing people together into a unified space allows them to gather their internal pieces, bring them into alignment, and discover a sense of peace. My music and my events are explicitly designed to create a sanctuary where people can integrate those fractured parts.

Sandeep Kulkarni (38:43.512) There is a definitive mindfulness and wellness thread in how audiences react to your live performances. Why do you feel this specific style of cinematic, ambient string music resonates so deeply with the public right now?

Emer Kinsella (39:08.706) My work provides a deeply meditative space where the audience can physically feel the acoustic vibrations of the strings. Listeners often tell me that while it doesn't sound like typical, generic ambient meditation music, it allows them to immediately tap into hidden parts of themselves. Someone recently told me that attending a performance completely washed away all their worries from the day.

Wellness and self-care are critical priorities for people right now. Individuals are actively seeking out experiences that force them to disconnect from daily stress, step out of their analytical minds, and truly exist within their bodies. My music serves as an intentional journey of self-discovery.

Sandeep Kulkarni (40:18.04) What is the general audience makeup at your live shows? Are you drawing a specific industry demographic, or is it people from all walks of life?

Emer Kinsella (40:49.038) It shifts depending on the concept. I host a dedicated Salon Series that combines live performances with panel talks, which frequently draws local filmmakers, multimedia artists, and fellow composers. Generally, the age demographic sits at 25 and above, pulling from a highly diverse cross-section of industries throughout Los Angeles.

Sandeep Kulkarni (41:28.888) Connecting deeply with a diverse audience through pure art is the ultimate reward for a creator. Hearing that your compositions moved something profound within a listener must bring immense satisfaction.

Emer Kinsella (41:56.032) It is beautiful to receive those responses because it validates that your message is landing. When a room full of people chooses to return to your shows because of the specific way your music makes them feel, it is the best feedback you can receive.

Suraaj Parab (42:27.09) Looking ahead, what is the next major evolution of your journey that you are quietly preparing for?

Emer Kinsella (42:42.03) The next phase involves touring my live material extensively, while maintaining that hybrid mixture of multi-disciplinary components. I want to score more films that carry powerful social messages and meaningful concepts, while continuously expanding my network of creative collaborators. I also plan to step into more public speaking roles to discuss my path as a sonic innovator, composer, and violinist, while scaling my concerts into even more advanced, immersive spaces. I want to keep pushing those boundaries forward.

Sandeep Kulkarni (43:31.48) Can you tease any specific projects that are currently in your pipeline?

Emer Kinsella (43:51.5) Right now, I am organizing a series of specialized workshops and expanding my Salon Series performances. I am also planning our next annual summer showcase featuring local composers. Behind the scenes, I am actively drafting concepts for my next studio album, and focused on distributing the physical vinyl copies of Concurrence, which are available worldwide on my official website.

Sandeep Kulkarni (44:23.904) That is fantastic. I am following your journey on social media, and the next time I am in LA or you are performing a site-specific show in Southern California, I will absolutely be there. I deeply admire creators who reject standard formats to blend distinct mediums like dance, architecture, and live orchestration.

Emer Kinsella (45:03.19) That is exactly what inspires me—stepping outside of standard formulas to observe art from completely new perspectives and seeing how they seamlessly blend together.

Sandeep Kulkarni (45:10.924) An immersive production like that must require intensive rehearsal schedules to ensure the musicians and dancers remain perfectly synchronized.

Emer Kinsella (45:53.134) We rehearse extensively. The movement artists choreograph their physical pieces directly to the core thematic concept of the score, and then we merge the two worlds in rehearsal. Balancing the live musicians with the dancers creates distinct creative threads that weave together into a unified production.

Sandeep Kulkarni (46:13.506) As an artist, I know how incredibly difficult it is to get multiple creative masters into the same room, on the same schedule, and on the exact same page. You are essentially acting as the chief conductor for a massive multimedia enterprise to ensure it executes flawlessly.

Emer Kinsella (46:29.856) Exactly! It definitely feels like conducting a giant, moving puzzle, but I love the challenge.

Suraaj Parab (46:43.25) Emer, thank you so much for spending this time with us today. We deeply appreciate the intention, openness, and meticulous care you bring to your music and the communal sanctuaries you construct.

Emer Kinsella (46:59.374) Thank you so much for having me. This was a lovely conversation.

Sandeep Kulkarni (47:03.902) This dialogue is a beautiful reminder that art can serve as a profound domain of connection—to ourselves, to each other, and to something much larger than us.

Emer Kinsella (47:11.438) That is exactly what art should bring to our communities and broader society. We have to actively support independent music and moving parts within the community so that independent artists can continue to build even more.

Suraaj Parab (47:33.266) Beautifully said. To everyone listening, thank you for sharing this space with us. If Emer’s journey resonated with you, check out her official Instagram account and stream her debut album Concurrence on Apple Music, Spotify, and all major digital platforms. Please reach out and share your thoughts with her, as connecting with listeners is vital for independent creators.

Make sure to join our international artist community on Discord via the links in the description below, where global creators connect to discuss their craft. We look forward to seeing you there, and we will see you on the next episode of The Artist Conversation.

Sandeep Kulkarni (48:17.058) Thanks, everyone.