Julia Feldman- jazz vocalist

In her singing the Israel-based vocalist Julia Feldman combines elements of multiple styles, such as a variety of jazz genres, modern classical music, blues and free improvisation, while her delivery of lyrics is full of emotion and exploration. Her debut album “Words Are Worlds (A Tribute to Billie Holiday)” was released on a leading Israeli label Hed Arzi. Julia is recently working on her anticipated new album of original materials, which was recorded in February 2008 in New York, featuring guitarist Steve Peskoff, drummer Ferenc Nemeth, bassist Massimo Biolcati, vocalist Ayelet Rose Gottlieb and saxophonist Loren Stillman. In 2008 Julia was a semi-finalist on the prestigious Montreux Shure Jazz Vocal Competition.

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Julia was born in Russia into a family with a large musical background (her grandfather was an accomplished conductor and a leader of the city philharmonic orchestra for more then 20 years and her father plays jazz piano). She had been classically trained by studying the piano from the age of 5 till the family`s immigration to Israel in 1990, where she continued her classical piano studies with Mr. Anatoly Tartakovsky alongside with jazz improvisation studies with the composer and a saxophone player Mr. Stephen Horenstein in the music department of the High School Of Arts in Jerusalem. In the last year of her high school studies she became interested in jazz singing, and in 1997 began studying voice technique and jazz improvisation with Mrs. Iris Portugaly, alongside with intensive studies of jazz with the great Arnie Lawrence at the International Music Center of Jerusalem. During that period Julia had the opportunity to study and perform with such wonderful musicians as Evelyn Blakey, Larry Goldings, Armen Donelian, Bob Meyer, Sheila Jordan, Judi Silvano and the composer Allen Gershwin, to name a few. Julia had the honor to be invited to perform Allen Gershwin`s composition "Walk in the wilderness" on a special tribute concert dedicated to his father, the legendary composer George Gershwin.
Between 1998-1999 she continued studying vocal jazz with Iris Portugaly at the Rimon School Of Jazz And Contemporary Music, and in 2003 she graduated the Rubin Academy Of Music In Jerusalem, where she studied voice technique with Mrs. Robin Weisel-Capsouto, jazz improvisation with Mrs. Ataliya Pniel and composition in the class of Mr. Vyacheslav Ganelin.
Since then Julia has frequently worked with leading Israeli jazz artists and music groups. Among the artists she`s worked and sang with are Arnie Lawrence, Ayelet Rose Gottlieb, Bob Meyer, Boris Gammer, Eilon Tourgeman, Eli Magen (with a voice-double bass duo project), Jerry Garval, Jean Claude Johns, Judy Lewis, Stephen Horenstein, Steve Peskoff, The Yedid Trio and others. She has performed in leading Israeli jazz clubs and on various festivals (including Shuni Jazz Festival, Tel Aviv International Jazz Festival and at the Jerusalem Theater on the Israel Festival) and performs regularly with several groups; among others she leads a trio Ensemble, a Jazz Quartet (featuring Steve Peskoff on the guitar) and participates in "Musica Ficta" (performing unique original compositions by Ehud Horev). Her Ensemble`s debut album "Words Are Worlds (A Tribute to Billie Holiday)" was released on a leading Israeli label Hed Arzi. The album is inspired by the work and personality of Billie Holiday and features unique arrangements of the known jazz standards that were performed by Holiday, alongside with the member`s original compositions, all of which are connected by a leitmotif borrowed from Holiday`s profound ballad "God Bless the Child". The cd is a product of the Ensemble`s numerous successful performances with the material on many Israeli stages and was recorded, mixed and mastered by Udi Koomran, one of the leading Israel`s sound artists.
Last year, a song Julia`s Ensemble had recorded was chosen to open "The Birth of the local standard" compilation cd, featuring Israeli jazz artists. The cd was released on The Eighth Note Records. Additionally, the song "Gray Star"- the fruit of her collaboration with electronica producer-songwriter Vlad Shusterman- is scheduled to be out soon on Music House label as part of Vlad`s album "Bury Your Room".

In addition to her intensive creative work Julia is also being active as a music educator, teaching voice, theory and jazz improvisation in the "Ha Sadna" Music and Dance Conservatory in Jerusalem and conducting improvisation workshops for vocalists. In 2007, in appreciation of her teaching activities, she has received a Musician Contributing to Comunity Grant from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation. In 2008 Julia was a semi-finalist in the prestigious Shure Jazz Vocal Competition in Montreux, Switzerland, being one of 13 professional vocalists chosen from over 70 countries.