Born in Wellington, Julia completed a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours at Victoria University in 2004. She was Concertmaster of the National Youth Orchestra of New Zealand, heading to London in 2005 where she completed a Masters Degree in Violin/Viola Performance with Distinction at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She was a finalist in the Guildhall Wigmore Hall recital competition 2008.
As a member of the Puertas Quartet she reached the semi-finals at the Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition 2010. Julia played with the Royal Philharmonic and London Philharmonic Orchestras before being appointed to the Philharmonia Orchestra of London’s viola section. She toured France, Germany, Spain, Turkey, Japan and the Canary Islands with the Philharmonia before returning to New Zealand in 2011 to take up the position of Principal Viola with the NZSO. She plays a 1920’s Italian viola by Emilio Rossi.
Paul McArthur & Danika Charlton