Hailed by Opera News as “radiant and riveting” and the New York Times as “a spitfire”, Canadian soprano Julia Dawson is a winner of the George London Award and the Anny-Schlemm-Preis and makes her role and house debuts with these performances of Servilia with Pacific Opera Victoria. Dawson made her European debut as a member of Oper Frankfurt’s opera studio and solo ensemble from 2015-2019. Roles in Frankfurt included Angelina in La cenerentola, Goffredo in a new production of Handel’s Rinaldo directed by Ted Huffman, and the Kitchen Boy in Rusalka among others. Further engagements include Pulcinella with the Munich Philharmonic and the French Radio Orchestra under the baton of Barbara Hannigan, Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with the Banff Center for Arts and Creativity, Zibaldona in Alma Deutscher’s Cinderella with Opera San Jose, Scarlatti’s Erminia and Emilia in Vivaldi’s Catone in Utica with Opera Lafayette, Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor with the Vocal Concert Dresden, and Poème de l’amour et de la mer with the Frankfurter Opern-und Museumsorchester.
Julia has been presented in recitals by Vocal Arts DC, the New York Festival of Song at Caramoor, Musica Plus, and the Hessischer Rundfunk in Frankfurt. A bold interpreter of contemporary music, Julia’s multidisciplinary work with Iranian-Canadian composer Iman Habibi and American director Mary Birnbaum has been recognized by the Opera Philadelphia’s O22 Festival, the International Fine Arts Film Festival and the Canada Shorts Festival. She earned a nomination for Singer of the Year from the Opus Klassik awards for ‘Girl in the Snow;’ an recording of songs by American composer Scott Ordway. Dawson has trained at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, the Music Academy of the West, Santa Fe Opera, Aspen Opera Theater Center, and The Glimmerglass Festival and holds degrees from Rice University and Oberlin Conservatory. She is grateful to have been mentored by artists such as Barbara Hannigan and Marilyn Horne.