Julia Coronelli Harp
Julia Coronelli
Widely recognized as one of the leading harpists of her generation, Julia Coronelli is the newly appointed Principal Harpist of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and on faculty at the DePaul University School of Music. Previously, she held positions as the Principal Harpist of the Sarasota Orchestra, as well as the New World Symphony in Miami Beach. Born in Chicago, Illinois, she began playing the harp at the age of four. Her playing has been described by The New York Times as "precise and shimmering", and as "exquisite," "exceptional," and “stunning" by The Miami Herald. She has performed in the role of Principal Harpist in many of the world's greatest halls, including Carnegie Hall (New York), Teatro alla Scala (Milan), Musikerverein (Vienna), Philharmonie de Paris (Paris), Kolner Philharmonie (Cologne), Philharmonie Luxembourg (Luxembourg), Teatro San Carlo (Naples), Teatro Maggio del Musicale Fiorentino (Florence), Lugano Arte e Cultura (Lugano, Switzerland), Bunka Kaikan (Tokyo), Symphony Hall (Birmingham, UK), Oriental Art Center (Shanghai), National Centre for the Performing Arts (Beijing), National Concert Hall (Taipei), Festival Hall (Osaka), and Orchestra Hall (Chicago). Performance credits include concerts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (UK), St. Louis Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, The Florida Orchestra, and Phoenix Symphony.
Ms. Coronelli has joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on three recent tours under the baton of Maestro Riccardo Muti, including two international tours as Guest Principal Harpist. Most recent tour performances include Cologne, Vienna, Luxembourg, Paris, Naples, Florence, Milan, Lugano, Taipei, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, and Osaka.
Ms. Coronelli also currently holds the position of Principal Harpist of the Britt Festival Orchestra in Jacksonville, Oregon. As an active participant in summer festivals, she has also performed as Principal Harpist at the Ravinia Music Festival (Illinois), Sun Valley Music Festival (Idaho), Colorado Music Festival (Boulder), Artosphere (Arkansas), Tanglewood Music Festival (Lenox, Mass.), Music Academy of the West (Santa Barbara), and the Aspen Music Festival (Colorado).
An advocate of new music, she has appeared with such esteemed contemporary ensembles as CSO MusicNow, New Juilliard Ensemble, Axiom, Syzygy New Music, and as part of the Festival of Contemporary Music at the Tanglewood Music Festival. Additionally, she has performed as a solo artist with Music of the Baroque in Chicago, was a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and a prizewinner at the American Harp Society national solo competitions in 2007, 2005, and 2003. A passionate teacher, she was the founding faculty of the harp studio at the Uptown Academy of the People's Music School, an El Sistema music school in Chicago.
Ms. Coronelli is well versed in performing many different styles of music in a variety of venues across the country, from Carnegie Hall to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan, and from the Chautauqua Auditorium in the Rocky Mountains of Boulder, Colorado, to the runways of New York Fashion Week at Lincoln Center. Pop, rock, and hip-hop performances include shows with Sarah McLachlan, The Indigo Girls, My Morning Jacket, & Common. She has also performed at private events and parties for such celebrated figures as Jasper Johns, Martin Scorsese, Michelle Obama, Katherine Deneuve, Glenn Close, Neil Peart, Rush, Timothy B. Schmit, and The Eagles. She has often been heard both live and recorded on radio stations across the country, including NPR, WFMT, & WQXR, as well as on PBS's Great Performances, the episode of which was broadcast internationally.
She holds an MM from The Juilliard School, and a BM from Chicago College of Performing Arts. Her primary teachers were Sarah Bullen, Principal Harpist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Nancy Allen, Principal Harpist of the New York Philharmonic.