Passion for music and for teaching
Julia grew up studying music, dance and theater in northeastern USA. She sang in choirs and played flute in orchestra all through her childhood and into university. She received a bachelor’s degree in Music at Skidmore College and master’s degree in Vocal Performance at Ithaca College before moving to Germany to pursue her postgraduate studies in Vocal Performance at Richard-Strauss-Konservatorium in Munich. Since 2008 Julia has been nurturing two parallel careers – performing as a soloist and teaching music education. As a soloist she enjoys singing Mozart, Bach, Händel as well as Bernstein, Berlin, Gershwin. As an early music educator, she loves teaching an eclectic mix of music from many different cultures, rhythms and languages.
Julia began working with the ESME Singers’ as the Winter Season Conductor, beginning in 2023. She draws on her many years of singing in assorted choirs, as well as leading her college a cappella group and conducting a church choir while in graduate school. Julia is always committed to bringing out the best in her singers, leading with exuberance and passion. At times she has compared her own whole-body conducting style to “interpretive dance.”
The harmony and beauty of so many voices joined together is a powerful feeling of community.
Website: www.juliachalfin.com
Photo by Christoph Chalfin
Our Spring-Summer Season Conductor
Former Singers’ Conductors
- Jochen Stuppi
- Eric Weddle
- Robert Gardner
- Andreas Sczygiol
- Mark Davey