Julie Lawrence

New York City-based violinist Julie Lawrence has performed in Germany, Switzerland, France, and throughout the United States. Ms. Lawrence regularly presents interactive programs ranging from Bach and Mozart to Ysaye and Carter to audiences in psychiatric hospitals and nursing homes to Steinway Hall and Rose Studio at Lincoln Center. As an orchestral musician, she has performed alongside members of the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Orchestra of St. Luke’s. She has appeared as soloist with the Ashland Symphony performing Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, BWV 1043 alongside Ann Arbor Symphony concertmaster Aaron Berofsky.
Committed to promoting the works of living composers, Julie commissioned and premiered the Sonata for Violin and Piano by Kyle Werner and a piano trio entitled Zaire at Steinway Hall in New York City by Nick Marsella in 2016. Her playing can be heard on Juan Pablo Contreras’ album Silencio en Juárez (Albany Records) and David Chesky’s Joy and Sorrow (Chesky Records).

Her interest in early music has led Ms. Lawrence to collaborate with singers to program works like “Semelé” from Cantates francoises by de la Guerre, as well as instrumental works by Albinoni, Telemann, and Vivaldi on period instruments. She was recently featured as soloist and concertmaster in an all-Telemann program at Rutgers University. She worked extensively with Kenneth Cooper at Manhattan School of Music as concertmaster for his production of Handel’s L’Allegro ed il Penseroso. Performing these works inspired more research. Her article “An In-Depth Look at the Vibrato Practices of the 17th and 18th Centuries According to Primary Sources” was published in the ASTA Journal. She is currently conducting research on the music of Georg Muffat for her doctoral dissertation.

A dedicated educator, Julie Lawrence is on faculty at The Geneva Conservatory of Music in Manhattan, where she was the director for six years. She has been violin faculty for the Rutgers University Extension Division and Harmony Program, working with at-risk youth. She received her Suzuki Teacher Training Certification from the School for Strings in New York City, studying with Allen Lieb and Katherine Gerson. Ms. Lawrence received her B.M. and M.M. from Manhattan School of Music studying with Laurie Smukler and Isaac Malkin, and is currently Doctor of Musical Arts candidate at Rutgers University, working with Carmit Zori. Ms. Lawrence plays a violin crafted in 2014 by Boston violin maker Benjamin Ruth.