Julia Bullock

Combining versatile artistry with a probing intellect and commanding stage presence, American classical singer Julia Bullock has, in her early thirties, already headlined productions and concerts at some of the preeminent arts institutions worldwide. An innovative programmer whose artistic curation is in high demand, her curatorial positions include San Francisco Symphony Artist-in-Residence in 2019–20 and Collaborative Partner beginning with the 2020–21 season, Esa-Pekka Salonen’s first as Music Director; Artist-in-Residence of London’s Guildhall School for the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons; opera-programming host of new broadcast channel All Arts; founding core member of the American Modern Opera Company (AMOC); and 2018–19 Artist-in-Residence of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Bullock is also a prominent voice of social consciousness and activism.

Bullock has made key operatic debuts at San Francisco Opera in the world premiere of John Adams’ Girls of the Golden West; Santa Fe Opera in Adams’ Doctor Atomic; Festival d’Aix-en-Provence and Dutch National Opera in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress; and the English National Opera, Spain’s Teatro Real, and Russia’s Bolshoi Theatre in the title role of Purcell’s The Indian Queen.

In concert, she has collaborated with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel, the New York Philharmonic and Alan Gilbert, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons, Japan’s NHK Symphony and Paavo Järvi, and both the Berlin Philharmonic and London Symphony Orchestra with Sir Simon Rattle, among others. Her recital highlights include appearances at New York’s Carnegie Hall, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Cal Performances at UC Berkeley, Boston’s Celebrity Series, Washington’s Kennedy Center, and the Mostly Mozart and Ojai Music festivals, where she joined Roomful of Teeth and the International Contemporary Ensemble for the world premiere of Josephine Baker: A Portrait. This led to the creation of Perle Noire: Meditations for Joséphine, a work conceived by Bullock in collaboration with Peter Sellars, and written for her by Tyshawn Sorey and Claudia Rankine. Her growing discography includes Adams’ Doctor Atomic, recorded with the composer conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and West Side Story, with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony, both of which were nominated for Grammy Awards.

Julia Bullock was born in Saint Louis, MO, and holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music, Bard College’s Graduate Vocal Arts Program, and New York’s Juilliard School. She lives with her husband, conductor Christian Reif, in Munich.