Bringing the vividness of classical music to fresh audiences

Born and raised in California, Julia Tom received a Bachelor’s Degree cum laude in English Literature at Harvard University while studying at the Juilliard School of Music. Julia has spent her life immersing herself in new cultures, seeking ways to promote the musical language that unites across all borders.
Julia has distinguished herself as soloist, chamber musician and orchestral musician. A finalist at the ARD Munich Competition, she has performed as a soloist with numerous orchestras in America and Europe, including the San Francisco Symphony and Bach Society Orchestra. As a member of the Oberon Trio and the Amsterdam Ensemble, she toured across major halls of Europe, as well as of Israel, Egypt and South Africa. Her teachers include many of the most illustrious names in cello-playing and pedagogy today: she studied with Frans Helmerson, Ralph Kirchbaum and Joel Krosnick, and received further training from Yo-Yo Ma, Steven Isserlis, Janos Starker, Steven Doane and Aldo Parisot.

In recent years, Julia has turned her focus to bringing the vividness of classical music to fresh audiences. Awarded with the Prix de Salon by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in 2016, she has used the award to commission and premiere new works for cello, and to engage new audiences with her blog Modern Folk.The CD Origins is recently released.

Julia joined the cello group of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in 2010, and plays a cello made by Anselmo Bellosio (1780) from Venice.