Julia Bullock facts for kids

Julia Bullock, born on July 16, 1986, is a talented American opera singer. She is a soprano, which means she sings in a high voice. Julia is from St. Louis, Missouri. A writer for The New York Times once called her an "impressive, fast-rising soprano," meaning she was quickly becoming very famous and skilled. She has even won a Grammy Award!

Early Life and Learning

Julia Bullock joined a special program for young artists at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis when she was still in high school. She received an award called the Marielle Hubner Award when she finished.

She went on to study music at college. 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, where she worked with the famous singer Dawn Upshaw. In 2015, she completed another special program at Juilliard, a very well-known music school.

Julia has mentioned that singers like Nina Simone and Billie Holiday were important to her when she was growing up.

Her Career as a Singer

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

Julia sang the role of Dame Shirley in John Adams's opera Girls of the Golden West in 2017. This was the first time the opera was performed anywhere in the world. She also sang this role when the opera was first performed in Europe, in Amsterdam. In 2018, she played Kitty Oppenheimer in Adams's opera Doctor Atomic.

In 2019, she performed in a new show called Zauberland. This show was inspired by the challenges faced by people moving to new countries in Europe. She performed it in New York, London, and other places in Europe.

From 2018 to 2019, Julia was an Artist in Residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This meant she performed there often. During this time, she and percussionist Tyshawn Sorey performed a piece called 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. In March 2023, they performed it in Europe for the first time.

Julia's first solo music album, Walking in the Dark, was released in 2022. Her husband, Christian Reif, conducted the music and played the piano on the album. The album features songs by composers like John Adams, Samuel Barber, and Sandy Denny. At the 66th Grammy Awards in 2024, her album won the award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album.

In April 2024, Julia Bullock continued to work with John Adams. She performed in a staged version of his musical work El Niño at the Metropolitan Opera. Also in April 2024, Julia was featured on the cover of Opera (British magazine). This was in preparation for her big debut at the Metropolitan Opera.

Helping Others Through Music

Julia Bullock uses her music to help communities. She has organized concerts to raise money for groups like the Shropshire Music Foundation. These groups help children affected by war by teaching them music. They work in places like Kosovo, Northern Ireland, Uganda, and 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

Julia Bullock has received many awards for her talent:

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

Personal Life

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