Emily Tarantino

Bass, Cello, Piano

Emily Tarantino is a double bassist and educator based in Pittsburgh, PA. She holds a B.M. in Music Education from the State University of New York at Fredonia and an M.M. in Performance from Duquesne University. She also holds an Advanced Musical Studies Certificate from Carnegie Mellon University. Emily's formative teachers include Micah Howard, Aaron White, Brett Shurtliffe and Peter Guild.

Emily is an associate musician of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and Assistant Principal Bass of the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra. In addition, she frequently performs with the Erie Philharmonic, Canton Symphony Orchestra, Akron Symphony Orchestra, Resonance Works Chamber Orchestra, and the Kassia Ensemble. She is one half of the double bass duo, Contraduo, that performs in the Greater Pittsburgh area. In addition, Emily also writes new compositions and arrangements, and hosts workshops with her duo partner & husband, Riley Zimmermann.


Emily also holds a private studio of strings & piano students, and formerly taught a strings class at the Urban Academy. She also works with Bass Works (Baltimore, MD), a summer camp by and for double bass players. Emily lives in Pittsburgh with her husband, Riley, and their two cats, Ru & Mattie.