Bio
Widely recognized as one of the leading orchestral harpists of her generation, Julia Coronelli is the Principal Harpist of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and on faculty at the DePaul University School of Music. Born and raised in the City of Chicago, 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 conveying “beauty without pluck”, as well as "exquisite," "exceptional," and “stunning" by The Miami Herald. Previously, she held positions as the Principal Harpist of the Sarasota Orchestra, as well as the New World Symphony in Miami Beach.
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), Musikverein (Vienna), Philharmonie de Paris (Paris), Kolner Philharmonie (Cologne), Teatro dell’Opera di Roma (Rome), Philharmonie Luxembourg (Luxembourg), Teatro San Carlo (Naples), Teatro Maggio del Musicale Fiorentino (Florence), Auditorium Giovanni Agnelli (Torino), Lugano Arte e Cultura (Lugano, Switzerland), Bela Bartok National Concert Hall (Budapest), Alte Oper (Frankfurt), Philharmonie Essen (Essen), BOZAR (Brussels), 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).
Ms. Coronelli has joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on eight recent tours under the baton of Maestro Riccardo Muti, including three international tours as Guest Principal Harpist. Additional performance credits include concerts with the New York Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (UK), St. Louis Symphony, and San Diego Symphony.
An in-demand musician at summer festivals, she has performed as Principal Harpist at the Ravinia Music Festival (Highland Park, Illinois), Sun Valley Music Festival (Idaho), Lakes Area Music Festival (Minnesota), Colorado Music Festival (Boulder), Artosphere (Arkansas), Tanglewood Music Festival (Lenox, Mass.), Music Academy of the West (Santa Barbara), and the Aspen Music Festival (Colorado). She was also the Principal Harpist of the Britt Festival Orchestra (Jacksonville, Oregon) from 2014-2024.
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 soloist 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 concert halls 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, and 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 can often been heard both live and recorded on radio stations across the country, including NPR, WFMT, & WQXR, as well as on internationally broadcast episodes of PBS's Great Performances.
She holds an MM from The Juilliard School, and a BM from Chicago College of Performing Arts. Her primary teachers were Sarah Bullen, former Principal Harpist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Nancy Allen, Principal Harpist of the New York Philharmonic.