Julia Bullock facts for kids

Julia Bullock, born on July 16, 1986, is an amazing American opera singer. She is a soprano, which means she sings high notes. Julia is from St. Louis, Missouri. A famous music critic once said she is a "fast-rising soprano" who will have a big career. She even won a Grammy Award!

Julia's Early Life and Schooling

Julia Bullock was born in 1986. When she was in high school, she joined a special program at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. This program helped young artists learn about opera. She even won an award when she finished!

Julia studied music at several famous schools. She earned her first degree from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester. Then, she got her master's degree from Bard College. There, she worked with the famous singer Dawn Upshaw. In 2015, she finished another special program at Juilliard, a very well-known music school.

Julia has also received support from groups like Young Concert Artists. She says that famous singers like Nina Simone and Billie Holiday inspired her when she was young.

Julia's Career in Music

In 2013, while still at Juilliard, Julia performed with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony. She met composer John Adams in 2014. He even called her his "muse," which means she inspires him!

Julia sang a main role in John Adams's opera Girls of the Golden West in 2017. This was its first performance ever, at the San Francisco Opera. She also performed this role when the opera came to Europe. In 2018, she played Kitty Oppenheimer in Adams's opera Doctor Atomic for Santa Fe Opera.

In 2019, Julia performed in a new show called Zauberland. This show was inspired by the migrant crisis in Europe. She performed it in New York, London, and other cities across Europe.

Julia was also an Artist in Residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art from 2018 to 2019. While there, she and percussionist Tyshawn Sorey performed Perle Noire: Meditations for Joséphine. This was a special tribute to the Black jazz artist Josephine Baker. They had performed this piece before in 2016. It also made its European debut in Amsterdam in 2023.

Julia's first solo music album, Walking in the Dark, came out in 2022. Her husband, Christian Reif, conducted the music and played the piano on the album. The album features songs by different composers. At the 66th Grammy Awards, this album won a Grammy for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album!

In 2024, Julia was set to perform in a new opera called "The Shell Trial" in the Netherlands. However, she later decided not to be part of that show. In April 2024, Julia is scheduled to work with John Adams again. She will perform in his oratorio El Niño at the Metropolitan Opera.

Julia was even featured on the cover of Opera (British magazine) in April 2024. This was to celebrate her upcoming debut at the Metropolitan Opera.

Julia's Activism

Julia Bullock uses her music to help her community. She has organized concerts to raise money for non-profit groups. These groups help children and teenagers who have been affected by war. They do this through music education and performance programs. These programs are in places like Kosovo, Northern Ireland, Uganda, and her hometown of St. Louis.

She also took part in a concert to benefit New York's Weill Medical Center. Julia is also on the advisory board of Turn the Spotlight. This group works to make the arts more fair and equal for everyone.

Awards and Honors

• First Prize at the 2012 Young Concert Artists International Auditions
• First Prize at the 2014 Naumburg International Vocal Competition
• 2015 – Leonore Annenberg Arts Fellowship
• 2015 – Richard F. Gold Grant from the Shoshana Foundation
• Lincoln Center's 2015 Martin E. Segal Award
• 2016 – Sphinx Medal of Excellence
• 2024 – Grammy for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album for Walking in the Dark

Julia's Personal Life

Julia Bullock is married to Christian Reif, who is a music conductor. They have a son together. As of January 2021, Julia was living in Munich, Germany.