One of Musical America’s 2021 “Artists of the Year,” Julia Bullock (she/her) is an American classical singer who “communicates intense, authentic feeling, as if she were singing right from her soul” (Opera News). Combining versatile artistry with a probing intellect and commanding stage presence, she has headlined productions and concerts at preeminent arts institutions around the world.
An innovative curator in high demand from a diverse group of organizations, her notable positions have included collaborative partner of Esa-Pekka Salonen and 2019-20 Artist-in-Residence at the San Francisco Symphony, 2020–22 Artist-in-Residence of London’s Guildhall School, and 2018-19 Artist-in-Residence at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Bullock’s opera debuts include San Francisco Opera in the world premiere of Girls of the Golden West, Santa Fe Opera in Doctor Atomic, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence and Dutch National Opera in The Rake’s Progress, the English National Opera, Teatro Real and Bolshoi Theatre in the title role of The Indian Queen; and upcoming premieres at Dutch National Opera and Bregenzer Festspiele in Michel van der Aa’s Upload. In concert, she has collaborated with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester, London’s Philharmonia and London Symphony Orchestras, NHK Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, and Los Angeles Philharmonic, while her recital highlights include appearances at New York’s Carnegie Hall, Boston’s Celebrity Series, Washington’s Kennedy Center, and the Mostly Mozart and Ojai Music festivals.
Her growing discography features Grammy-nominated accounts of West Side Story and Doctor Atomic, and she also appears on the soundtrack of Amazon Prime Video’s 2021 The Underground Railroad composed by Nicholas Britell. She was nominated for a Grammy in November 2023 in the category of Best Classical Solo Vocal Album for Walking In The Dark with the Philharmonia Orchestra and conductor Christian Reif. The album features Memorial de Tlatelolco from John Adams's El Niño: Nativity Reconsidered.
Committed to integrating community activism with her musical life, Bullock is also a prominent voice for social consciousness and change.