American cellist Julie Albers is already recognized for her superlative artistry, her charismatic and radiant performing style, and her intense musicianship. She was born in 1980 to a musical family in Longmont, Colorado. She began violin studies at the age of two with her mother, switching to cello at four. She moved to Cleveland during her junior year of high school to pursue studies through the Young Artist Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Richard Aaron. Miss Albers soon was awarded the Grand Prize at the XIII International Competition for Young Musicians in Douai, France, and as a result toured France as soloist with Orchestre Symphonique de Douai.
Julie Albers made her major orchestral debut with the Cleveland Orchestra in 1998, and thereafter has performed in recital and with orchestras in the U.S., Europe, Korea, Taiwan and New Zealand. In 2001 she won Second Prize in Munich’s Internationalen Musikwettbewerbes der ARD, at which time she was also awarded the Wilhelm-Weichsler-Musikpreis der Stadt Osnabruch 2001. While in Germany, she recorded solo and chamber music of Kodaly for the Bavarian Radio, performances that have been heard throughout Europe. In November 2003, Miss Albers was named the first Gold Medal Laureate of South Korea’s Gyeongnam International Music Competition, winning the $25,000 Grand Prize.
In America, Miss Albers has performed with many important orchestras and ensembles. Her current and upcoming engagements include performances with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Utah Symphony, the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the Moritzburg Festival in Germany, the Colorado Symphony, the Chautauqua Festival, the Rochester Philharmonic, the Charlotte Symphony, the Arkansas Symphony, the Spokane Symphony, the Syracuse Symphony, the Reno Philharmonic, and the Grand Rapids Symphony.
In addition to solo performances, Miss Albers regularly participates in chamber music festivals around the world. In the fall of 2006 she began a three-year residency with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Two. She is currently active with the Albers String Trio and the cello quartet, CELLO. Miss Albers is also on the faculty of Kean University as a member of the Concert Artist program.
October, 2005 marked the release of Miss Albers’ debut album on the Artek label. This disc includes works by Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Schumann, Massenet, and Piatagorsky. Julie Albers performs on a N.F. Vuillaume cello made in 1872 and makes her home in New York City.