The young dramatic soprano Julia Thornton has just completed a run of 6 perfomances as Brünnhilde
in Theater Freiburg's unique hip-hop opera for teenagers and young adults Der Rap des Nibelungen. Everything
she sang was from Richard Wagner's original score, but working with professional musicians from the Berlin hip-hop/rap
scene she also learned how to rap; she was highly acclaimed for her vocal and acting skills.
Julia made her debut with Theater Freiburg in June 2008 as Helmwige in their acclaimed new production of
Die Walküre; she also covered the role of Sieglinde. In August 2007 she debuted in the role of
Micaela in Carmen with the State Opera Orchestra of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, for Opera Classica Europe.
Other operatic roles have included Countess in Le nozze di Figaro for Oxford University Opera and
the Governess in The Turn of the Screw for the Britten-Pears School, Aldeburgh.
Julia has sung internationally as a concert singer. In March 2012 she won great personal acclaim for her appearances as
soprano soloist at the inaugural Musica em Trancoso international festival in the Brazilian state of Bahia, performing
arias by Puccini, Verdi, Gershwin and Bernstein with the Orquestra Juvenil da Bahia under their conductor Ricardo Castro
alongside artists such as Katia and Marielle Labeque and soloists from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 2006 she toured Brazil, singing the soprano solo in Verdis
Messa di Requiem and an Italian opera gala programme (featuring arias and duets from La Bohème,
Tosca, Gianni Schicchi and the 2nd Act finale of Aida) in prestigious venues,
including the Sala São Paulo concert hall and the Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro. International producer
Orlando Montes de Oca engaged Julia in 2007 to cover the role of Aida and sing the role of the Priestess
in Aida on tour to Morocco. Other engagements have taken her to Ravenna for Mahlers 4th Symphony;
Chateau Chinon, Burgundy for a Mozart recital; Zürich for Mozarts Coronation Mass and Lörrach for her first
Elias in March 2008. In her home town of Freiburg, she stepped in at the last minute to sing the soprano solos
in Orffs Carmina Burana at the Konzerthaus in November 2007 - and brought the house down! She has also
appeared as soprano soloist in Beethovens 9th Symphony, the Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde
and Brahms German Requiem.
Julia was born and educated in Chester, England. She trained at the Royal Northern College of Music and, after completing
her studies in Manchester, she took part in masterclasses at the Britten-Pears School for Advanced Musical Studies in
Aldeburgh. For several years she was a private student of celebrated Czech soprano Antonie Denygrová in Prague. Since
2003, she has studied with renowned singing teacher Anna Reynolds and vocal coach Margaret Singer.
