Julia Maria Johnson is an award-winning American soprano. At the 2024 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, she was a Washington State District Winner and an Encouragement Award Winner at the Northwest Region, a semi-finalist in the Heartland Sings Vocal Competition, a top nine finalist in the Vienna Beethoven Competition in Austria, and the winner of 2nd prize and the Vítězslava Kaprálová award at The American International Czech & Slovak Competition 2024. An esteemed recitalist, Ms. Johnson is known for her fresh programming, vocal versatility, theatrical finesse, and thrilling attention to detail. Her creative compass is guided by collaboration, storytelling, improvisation, and above all, unbridled joy.
This season, Ms. Johnson is making three role debuts, performing the role of Pamina in Die Zauberflöte with Genesis Opera, covering Musetta in La Bohème with Opera San Jose, and performing the role of Ernestina in Salieri’s La Scuola de’ Gelosi with Pacific Opera Project. She is thrilled to be performing both new and standard works in opera and recital with companies including The Opera Buffs, New Opera West, Sky Opera, Lyric Opera of Orange County, and Modern Opera Company, as well as singing on many premiere recordings for composers. Ms. Johnson recently performed with Opera Naples as their Resident Artist Soprano in Florida. There, she is sang the role of Phyllis in Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe, as well as the role of Kate Pinkerton/Chorus in Madama Butterfly. In Fall 2023, Ms. Johnson performed her latest recital, CABARET CONFIDENTIAL: Two Untold Stories of Classical Cabaret, in collaboration with The Opera Buffs, The Westwood Library and The Stowaway. This recital also headlined POP’s Artist Recital Series, which Ms. Johnson has curated. Ms. Johnson returned to Pacific Opera Project singing in the chorus of Trial By Jury in November 2023 after making her POP Debut as Isabel in The Pirates of Penzance.
Born in Spokane, WA, she earned her M.M. in Voice Performance at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music where she studied under Professor of Voice, Vladimir Chernov. Ms. Johnson is a graduate of Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and Vocal Performance.
At MSMU, LA, Ms. Johnson was awarded the Excellence in Student Teaching Award, the Department of Music Faculty Award, and the Sr. Dolorosa Credential Scholarship for exemplary work and promise in secondary education. She earned the President’s Award Medal, the highest honor and most prestigious award presented in recognition of her leadership, contributions, and academic and personal accomplishments. At UCLA, Ms. Johnson was a Mimi Alpert Feldman Scholar and received the Steve Lawrence - Eydie Gormé Scholarship for the arts.
In her time at UCLA, Ms. Johnson performed the lead role of Penelope in the world premiere of Quake by Kay Rhie, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Euridice in André Campra’s Orfeo nell’inferi, and also filmed, edited, and starred in a multidisciplinary recital highlighting Richard Danielpour’s cycle, Talking to Aphrodite. Her 2022 credits include performances as a Professional Fellow with SongFest at San Francisco Conservatory of Music, a featured soprano with StudioFest Santa Fe at the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi directed by Amy Owens, and the soprano soloist for Bach’s Christmas Cantata with I Cantori di Carmel. She also recorded the premieres of multiple new songs and cycles with Los Angeles composers including Gabrielle Rosse, Matt Smith, and John-Micah Braswell.
Ms. Johnson’s captivating stage presence and unique recitals distinguish her as an artist, and lead to her being selected as a 2022 Prima Voce Emerging Artist with Pasadena Conservatory of Music. She also regularly performs and composes with the multi-genre artist collective at Homegrown Recording Studio in Los Angeles, where she has recorded many of her original songs and recitals.
In addition to performing, Ms. Johnson has maintained a passion for music education. In 2023, Ms. Johnson joined the adjunct voice faculty at California Lutheran University. She believes that everyone can balance and enrich their lives in the pursuit of art. She is honored to be nurturing the next generation of music-makers to be the most creative, free, and authentic artists that they can be.
