Julia Feldman

”Vocalist Julia Feldman is a musician who deserves to be far better known outside of Israel […] beautiful, intimately passionate music” (Mike Gerber, UK)

“Julia is one of the most in demand musicians in Israel. She inspires musicians and jazz lovers with her voice, great musicality, exceptional band leading and unique musical concepts” (Vladimir Mak, www.jazz.ru, Russia)

“Fragile, expressive vocal soars” (Eyal Hareuveni, All About Jazz, USA)

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A world-class jazz vocalist, one of the most in-demand musicians in Israel, an improviser, interpreter of song, composer, arranger and clinician, Julia Feldman is a force to be reckoned with. Her vocal styling draws from the full spectrum of jazz �” from traditional to open and contemporary. An accomplished performer, Julia has graced the stages of such festivals as the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Israel Festival and the Tel Aviv International Jazz Festival.

Julia’s talents have been continually praised and noticed. Being one of the most versatile singers on the Israeli music scene, she has worked and shared the stage with top jazz musicians, such as Arnie Lawrence, Bob Meyer, Ed Schuller, Jean Claude Johns, Kevin Mahogany, and Yitzhak Yedid. She sang with the successful prog-rock band “Musica Ficta”, had a voice-bass duo with renowned Israeli bass player, Eli Magen, lead a Jazz combo performing the music of renown Israeli-Russian composer Sascha Argov, and more…

Julia`s debut CD, Words are Worlds (A Tribute to Billie Holiday), was released in 2006 on a major Israeli record label, Hed Arzi, and received rave reviews. All About Jazz called it “an inspired tribute (…) a fresh and open-minded perspective to the Holiday legacy”. The album features two of the most creative improvisors - pianist and composer Yitzhak Yedid and bassist Ora Boasson Horev. The album presents unique arrangements of familiar standards that were performed by Holiday, alongside original works by Julia, Yitzhak and Ora. The pieces are sown together by a leitmotif borrowed from Holiday`s profound ballad “God Bless the Child”.

In addition to her intensive creative work Julia is also an active music educator, teaching voice and jazz improvisation in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, including Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music- Israel’s leading music college.

In 2007, following a series of improvisation clinics for Israel’s Ethiopian community, Julia was awarded a grant from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation. This opened the possibility for her to pursue a more global musical endeavor, resulting in the recording of her latest album, The Secret Door, in NY’s famous Bennett Studios.

“The Secret Door”, rooted in Julia’s long-time collaboration with Steve Peskoff (a leading Israeli guitarist), features an outstanding cast of NY based musicians �” bassist Massimo Biolcati and drummer Ferenc Nemeth (both of Lionel Loueke’s trio), vocalist Ayelet Rose Gottlieb (a long-standing collaborator of Julia’s, and co-producer of the album) and saxophonist Loren Stillman. By combining Feldman’s originals with her arrangements to classics such as Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne”, Gershwin’s “My Man’s Gone Now” and Cole Porter’s “Love For Sale”, Julia presents a full rainbow of musical colors �” from blues to free improvisation. The arrangements are well thought out and concise, yet allow for spontaneous interaction and creative expression. In whole, “The Secret Door” takes you on a profound journey that is both very personal and deeply rooted in the traditions of jazz. _________________________________________________

Julia was born in Samara, Russia to a musical family- her grandfather was a famous conductor and a leader of the City Philharmonic Orchestra for more then 20 years; her grandmother was a professional singer, and her father played piano in a jazz combo. Julia had been classically trained since early childhood, on piano and voice. “I`ve known since I was a small child that I want to become a musician”, Julia recalls. “And though my main passion at the time was becoming a classical pianist, the improvisational piano interplays with my father and grandfather were especially inspiring to me”.

In 1990, her family immigrated to Israel, where Julia has been based ever since. She began her Jazz studies at the High School Of Arts in Jerusalem, studying with saxophonist and composer Stephen Horenstein. She continued to study with the great saxophonist Arnie Lawrence at his International Center for Creative Music, where she had the opportunity to study and perform with leading musicians such as Evelyn Blakey, Larry Goldings, James Moody, Armen Donelian, Sheila Jordan, Judi Silvano and Allen Gershwin.

In 2003 she graduated from the Rubin Academy Of Music in Jerusalem. Among her teachers were Iris Portugali and Robin Weisel-Capsouto (Voice), Ataliya Pniel and Nachum Perfecovitch (Improvisation), Vyacheslav Ganelin (Composition).

These days, Julia is about to release her second album “The Secret Door”. She continues to perform, often with guitarist Steve Peskoff.