NEW YORK, N.Y. — Growing up Emily Zimmerman’s grandfather used to ask her, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?”

When a young Zimmerman started playing music back in elementary school, the notion that Bill Benner had for his beloved granddaughter certainly seemed like a distant pipedream.

Of course, the answer to his question was the famous line, “practice, practice, practice,” recalled the now 24-year-old Zimmerman, a Lewistown native and French horn player.

“That dream always seemed like a fantasy until roughly a year ago,” Zimmerman said.

After graduating from Mifflin County High School in 2019, Zimmerman decided to major in biology with a concentration in medical laboratory sciences at Commonwealth University’s Mansfield campus. She also continued her musical interests, playing in the concert wind ensemble under the direction of Dr. Adam Brennan.

It was there where she discovered her pipedream was about to become a reality.

“Dr. Brennan had made a post sometime during last year asking if any alumni would be interested in performing at Carnegie Hall,” Zimmerman explained.

“So, I went and talked to my high school band director — Mr. Arthur Belfiore — about it, weighed the pros and cons and jumped at the opportunity,” Zimmerman added.

No one had to ask her twice.

This past weekend, Zimmerman’s dream became a reality as she took the famed Carnegie Hall’s Perelman Stage in the Stern Auditorium in New York, N.Y., performing with the Mansfield Concert Wind Ensemble on Friday night.

“I honestly was so excited going into the performance,” Zimmerman said. “There are of course the pre-performance jitters that you’re supposed to get. Those mean you care about what you’re doing. Dr. B (Adam Brennan) gave us a pep talk during warm up, encouraging us to put emotion and feeling into the performance. To soak in the moment. I walked on stage and let it all out there.”

Taking the stage at the storied venue proved to be everything she thought it would be — and more.

“It was magical,” Zimmerman added. “Nothing beats the way the ensemble sound bounces off the back of the hall back to the performers. I’m personally someone that uses the conductor a lot throughout a performance, to make sure I’m where I need to be in the music, and watching Dr. Brennan pour everything into the emotions of the performance was a beautiful moment to watch. Our set went so fast. We played two original pieces by Dr. Brennan and then Symphony No. 4 by Maslanka.”

After her band’s performance, Zimmerman also had the opportunity to play some brass parts in the box balconies for Western Illinois University’s last piece, “Pines of Rome” by Italian composer Ottorino Resphigi.

“Being a part of the last note of the experience is something I am extremely grateful for,” Zimmerman added. “The entire experience was a bucket list dream that I am so eternally grateful I was able to cross off.”

It took Zimmerman’s decorated music career to new heights as she had been part of the Mifflin County High School Marching Band, Concert Band, Brass Choir and Jazz Band. She also sang with the Mifflin County Concert Choir and Cantare.

Zimmerman also qualified for the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association All-State Chorus Festival in 2017 and PMEA All-State Band Festival in 2019.

She is now employed as a medical laboratory scientist at Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital and lives in Port Royal.