Emily Zamourka is an opera singer. While she was homeless, the Los Angeles Police Department found her on camera singing opera in a public transport station in Los Angeles, California in September 2019. Video of her singing subsequently was shared widely on social media bringing national media attention to Zamourka. ^{[10] [8] [3]}

Now she's being offered new opportunities, and will sing at the opening of Little Italy, a strip in San Pedro celebrating Italian heritage in Los Angeles. ^[3]

The Los Angeles Times reported that the video was recorded by an LAPD officer working at the Wilshire and Normandie Purple Line station. ^[8]

Zamourka grew up in Russia and learned to sing Opera from televised performances. She moved to the United States at age 24. She is a trained violinist, and used to teach piano lessons at a Church and had up to sixty students in Vancouver, Washington. ^[11]

She suffered years of financial difficulties and serious health problems.

Zamourka lived in Missouri for more than a decade, working at a nursing home and restaurant. ^[11]

In 2005, her pancreas and liver began to fail, and Zamourka struggled to find a diagnosis and treatment. Friends from Russia helped her find a hospital in Los Angeles, after being admitted, she required feeding tubes during treatment from December 2007 to April 2008. ^[11]

Zamourka had applied for political asylum and became a legal resident in 2008. When she was well enough to work again, she returned to teaching music from a Glendale apartment a friend helped pay for. ^[11]

She had fewer clients who were less consistent in their lessons, so she began to play the violin on the streets for extra cash.

The friend who had helped her financially died of a heart attack. One night, as she was playing the violin outside Clifton’s in downtown Los Angeles, someone took the instrument and broke it. ^[11]

Zamourka states about the video of her going viral: ^[11]

The LAPD and political consultant Michael Trujillo are working to connect Zamourka with resources and housing.

A GoFundMe campaign started by Trujillo has raised more than $45,000. ^[11]