"... and with the ease of a Nightingale, Julia Walsh sung her highest notes..."
Hailing originally from Temple, PA, Julia Katherine Walsh has
garnered critical acclaim in opera, concert and recital performances
in which she is best known for her interpretation of Mozart, Strauss
and 20th Century works by American Composers. Her incisive characterizations, combined with a
brilliant and agile instrument, allow Julia to deliver performances
which delight both audiences and critics alike.
On the Opera stage she has performed the roles of 'Rosine' in Der Barbier von Sevilla', 'Dido' in Dido and Aeneas, 'Papagena' in The Magic Flute, 'Oscar' in Un Ballo in Maschera, 'Just Jeanette' in the New York Premiere of Too Many Sopranos, 'Diana' in Orpheus in the Underworld, 'Ines' in Les Bavards, 'Naiade' in Ariadne auf Naxos, and 'Barbarina' in Le Nozze di Figaro. She has also participated in scenes work where she played 'Adina' in L'Elisir d'Amore, 'Mademoiselle Silberklang' in Der Schauspieldirektor, 'Adele' in Die Fledermaus, 'Zerlina' in Don Giovanni, 'Dorine' in Tartuffe, and 'Sandman/Dewfairy' in Hansel and Gretel.
On the Concert stage Julia has been a soloist with the Hunter College Choir and Symphony as the Soprano soloist in Haydn’s Mass in the Time of War (Paukenmesse), with the Reading Choral Society and Symphony as Soprano Soloist in Faure’s Requiem and Mozart’s Vespers, and as singer of the National Anthem at Radio City Music Hall for Hunter College’s 2008 Spring Graduation Ceremony.
In July, Julia will sing her debut of the role of Konstanze in Mozart's Die Entfuehrung aus dem Serail at the Oper Schloss Laubach in Laubach, Germany.
This past summer Julia sang at the 2011 Opernakademie Bad Orb in Bad Orb, Germany, as 'Rosine' in Der Barbier von Sevilla this August. In June and July, she participated in Joan Dornemann's International Vocal Arts Institute in Blacksburg, Virginia. While there, Julia sang Zerbinetta's Aria, and the Trio and Duet from Der Rosenkavalier in concert, and also performed in two Masterclasses: once with Joan Dornemann, and once with Steven White, of Opera Roanoke. In May, Julia performed a recital of works by Strauss, Mozart, Barber and Handel, and as part of Berks Opera Workshop's Outreach Series, entitled “Unleashing Your Inner Opera Fan”, at the Miller Center for the Performing Arts, in Reading, PA.
In June of 2010, Julia finished her Apprentice Artist season with Center City Opera Theater where she performed numerous roles and in Masterclasses with Leland Kimball (Opera Delaware), and Laurie Rogers (Dallas Opera, Saratoga Springs Opera). She also finished her Artist-In-Residence time with New York Lyric Opera Theatre, where she participated in a Masterclass with Steven Crawford (The Metropolitan Opera), and was a summer participant in the 2010 Lotte Lehmann Akademie in Perleberg, Germany in August, where she performed in two Art Song Recitals. In November, she was a guest Masterclass Presenter at the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Performing Arts, where she talked about dramatic interpretation in singing and showed LVPA students how to successfully complete a professional audition. In previous years, Julia has also participated as a Young Artist with Elysium Between Two Continents (performing in Recital in Bernried, Germany), Intermezzo (singing Najade in Ariadne auf Naxos, Ines in Les Bavards, and performing in Recital with Brian Zeger), Brevard Music Center (singing Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro and chorus in My Fair Lady and Orpheus in the Underworld), and has been previously invited in to participate in Martina Arroyo’s Prelude to Performance, as well as The Lyric Opera Studio of Weimar.
Competitively, Miss Walsh was a 2012 Semi-Finalist in The American Foundation's "Chicago Opera Award" category, an Encouragement Winner in the 2010 CareerBridges Competition, Finalist in the Orpheus Vocal Competition, the Thursday Musical Young Artist Competition, the Kennett Symphony of Chester County's Young Artist Competition and a Semi-Finalist in the 2010 North East Regional Metropolitan National Council Auditions in New Haven, Connecticut, and the Joy In Singing Auditions in New York City. Julia was also the winner of the 2006 Reading Choral Society's Young Artists' Competition.
Julia has been quite lucky to receive grants and scholarships from The Joyce Dutka Arts Foundation, The Berks County Community Foundation, CareerBridges, The Reading Musical Foundation, The Reading Choral Society, The Brevard Music Center, Westminster Choir College, The National Association of Teachers of Singing, Hunter College of The City University of New York, The American Association of University Women, and The P.E.O. Women's Club. Julia is also an active performing member of the Professional Women Singers Association of New York City.
As an alumna of the Berks Classical Children's Chorus, where she developed her love of singing, Julia went on to receive her Bachelor's Degree in Voice Performance from Westminster Choir College and her Master's Degree in Voice Performance from Hunter College.
