Emily Costa is a Founder, Strings Educator, and Program Director of Metropolitan Area Youth Symphony (MAYS).
As the daughter of music educators Jonathan and Maureen May, Emily grew up surrounded by music education, youth orchestras, rehearsals, performances, and a vibrant community of students and musicians. Through years of participation in youth orchestras and music programs, she developed a lifelong passion for music and a deep appreciation for the impact that music education can have on students and families.
Emily has taught private music lessons since 2003 and has provided classroom and ensemble instruction throughout Central Florida since 2008. She has taught students in a variety of educational settings, including private studios, schools, youth orchestras, camps, and enrichment programs. Her teaching experience includes work with Park Maitland School, Gateway Christian School, The Life Academy of Excellence, Walden Community School, Metropolitan Area Youth Symphony, and numerous private students throughout Central Florida.
In 2010, Emily co-founded Metropolitan Area Youth Symphony alongside Maureen May and Michael Miller to continue the educational vision and values that inspired her father’s life’s work. Over the years, she has helped develop orchestra programs, classroom string instruction, summer camps, workshops, educational enrichment opportunities, and community performances serving hundreds of students throughout Central Florida. She also founded MAYS At Your School, an innovative outreach program designed to bring music education directly into schools and make quality strings instruction accessible to more students.
Emily specializes in cello instruction from beginning through advanced levels and also teaches beginning and intermediate violin, viola, and bass. As both a classroom and private instructor, she is passionate about helping students build strong musical foundations through technique, music literacy, ensemble participation, and performance experiences. Her students have earned placement in Florida All-State Orchestras, leadership positions within youth ensembles, and admission to collegiate music programs.
Emily graduated Summa Cum Laude from Rollins College, where she received the Alphonse and Katherine Carlo Music Scholarship and the Outstanding String Performer Award. She also studied cello performance at Boston University College of Fine Arts.
Today, Emily continues to share her passion for music through private instruction, educational enrichment programs, summer camps, and performance opportunities. She believes that every student who is willing and eager to learn should have access to meaningful music education and the opportunity to discover confidence, creativity, friendship, and a lifelong love of music.