ABOUT
"Ms. Cox's portrayal of Despina, with all her wicked sense of humor and not-to-be-missed comedic timing, was a highlight of the entire show."
- John Hirsch, Greeley Gazette
"There's something about her (Ms Cox's) performance style that can only be described as 'totally enjoyable'. I found myself loving the writing, the singing, the pacing of the show and even the mugging. The storyline was extremely funny at times and cringe-inducing at others. We'll all need to keep a close eye on this talented singer for future shows (and ticket sales!)."
- Johnny Conslick, Cabaret Counts
Emily Cox is a vibrant singer who performs internationally in opera, operetta, orchestral works, cabaret and musical theater. Described as a ‘gifted singer with an endearing voice’, her numerous roles include Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, the Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd, Delores/Queenie Understudy in The Wild Party, Marian Paroo in The Music Man, Despina in Cosi fan Tutte, and Cinderella in Into the Woods. In 2014, Ms. Cox made her Chicago debut in correlation with the Chicago Summer Opera Series.
Since that time, Ms. Cox has established herself as an active performer throughout the Chicagoland area. She was the Soprano Resident Artist with Chicago Opera Playhouse for both their 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons. Other Chicagoland credits include Uptown Underground, Transgressive Opera Theatre, Third Eye Ensemble, Gilbert and Sullivan Company of Hyde Park, the “”D:Activate”” concert series in correlation with the City of Chicago, Chicago Folks Operetta, Main Street Opera, Chicago Fringe Opera, Music for Theatre Chicago, Davenport’s Piano Bar, Fulton Market Collective, and Classical Revolution. This past February, Emily made her international soloist debut in Asia with Fourth Presbyterian Church’s Touring Choir, singing in seven cities across northern India including Jaipur, Jodhpur, Mumbai, and New Delhi.
An enthusiastic supporter of new music, Emily is deeply involved in the development of new works throughout the nation. In 2015, Emily directed, produced and starred as Margaret Scott in the world premiere of Previn Hudetz’s opera Salem: 1692, in correlation with the Fort Collins Art Commission and the Bas Bleu Theater in Fort Collins, Colorado. Since that time, Emily has gone on to immerse herself in the world of contemporary music and opera. In 2019, Emily performed two separate roles in the world-premiere of Imogen, a new nonbinary operatic work by local composer Elizabeth Rudolph. Emily had the pleasure of working with Jenny Magnus and the Curious Theatre Branch on developing their new electronic operatic work, Open Wide. The production was premiered in conjunction with the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, as well as the 2019 Electro-Acoustic Theatre Symposium (EATS) Festival. Ms. Cox is a 2019 Chicago SongSlam finalist, in which she world-premiered several songs by Elizabeth Rudolph. Since that time, Emily has gone on to create six full-length original music albums of Ms. Rudolph’s compositions. Their latest album, entitled Present Musings, features the compositions of seven Midwestern contemporary composers and is slated for release this Spring 2024. Her newest song-cycle commission project, Written On the Table Where You Starved Me, recently received a 2023 Creators Grant from the Musicians Club of Women. It will hold its world premiere this April in the Chicagoland area in conjunction with New Music Chicago.
A vibrant cabaret performer, Emily is known for her 'not-to-be-missed comedic timing' and "deep connection with audiences". Her one-woman show, 'Swipe Left: Dating in the Windy City Blows', was a featured participant of the 2020 Chicago Cabaret Week Festival. Emily’s newest one-woman cabaret, "I Do, I Did, I'm DONE!', was a Featured Performer of the 2023 Chicago Cabaret Week, hosted by the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the Illinois Arts Council, WDCB 90.9 FM, and the Chicago Cabaret Professionals. This past November, Emily delighted audiences in New York City with her co-production of ‘I Do, I Did, I’m DONE!’ with Frigid Theatre and the Theatre Workshop of New York. Emily recently closed a featured double-bill production of her comedic cabarets, entitled ‘Before & After’, this past March 2024 with Petite Productions in Arlington Heights.
Emily currently writes, produces, coaches and directs new musical works throughout the Chicagoland area with her production company, Cox Productions, LLC. She has served as Managing Director to /kor/ productions in Chicago since 2020. She is a proud member of the Chicago Cabaret Professionals, the Musicians Club of Women, New Music Chicago, the Illinois Theatre Alliance, the Chicago Vocal Arts Consortium, and Opera on Tap Chicago.