Born and raised in Waterford, Ireland, Emmet took up the Oboe at the age of 15 having previously learned the Piano and Guitar. He went into the Barrack Street Concert Band in Waterford to ask about learning the clarinet but was presented with an oboe that no one else was interested in. Emmet says ‘I had no idea what an oboe even was but was happy to give it a go! I loved it from day one!’ He ended up travelling to Dublin every couple of weeks for lessons with Matthew Manning of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra.

Emmet went on to study at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester with Hugh Mckenna, Melinda Maxwell and Tom Davey, followed by postgraduate studies at the Hochschule fur Musik Cologne, Germany with Prof. Christian Schneider.

Before joining the CBSO Emmet freelanced in Manchester and performed with many of the UK and Ireland's best orchestras, including most regularly with the Orchestra of Opera North and the BBC Philharmonic.

As Principal 2nd Oboe since May 2013 Emmet says that ‘playing in Symphony Hall week in week out is a real treat’. Highlights so far include the CBSO's tours to Asia and Europe and the Beethoven Cycle in Bonn with Andris Nelsons. He says ‘I also love the variety of music we get to perform from big Mahler symphonies to opera, film music and musical theatre.’

When not working, Emmet enjoys socialising, eating out, going to the theatre and going back to Ireland to see family and friends.