Violinist Yulia Watanabe-Price is an avid orchestral and chamber musician as well as passionate teacher. Her performances have taken her across North America to renowned stages of Carnegie Hall, Seiji Ozawa Hall, and Symphony Hall of Boston where she has played under the baton of notable conductors such as Keith Lockhart, JoAnn Falletta, Christopher Warren-Green, and Carlos Iczaray. Yulia has had the opportunity to perform in masterclasses for esteemed artists such as Miriam Fried, Daniel Phillips, Jennifer Frautchi, Hagai Shaham, Ani Kavafian, Hsin-Yun Huang, Robert McDonald, and Catherine Cho among others. As a freelance orchestral musician she has performed with various groups such as the Eureka Ensemble, Fermata Chamber Orchestra, Great Bay Philharmonic Orchestra, Phoenix Orchestra, Spartanburg Philharmonic, Illinois Symphony, Portland Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, and Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra.

Yulia’s passion for chamber music has been nurtured by members of the Jupiter, Cavani, Arianna, Brooklyn Rider, Borromeo, and Juilliard String quartets. She has collaborated and shared the stage with members of the Cooperstown quartet in performances across North Carolina through the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival’s Summer Chamber Music Institute and Next Generation initiatives. As a recipient of the Community Performances and Partnerships Ensemble Fellowship at New England Conservatory, Yulia was able to share chamber music with audiences beyond the formal concert setting. Her quartet performed interactive educational programs for public schools throughout Boston and presented full recitals at venues such as the Boston Public Library, all featuring programs comprised of only underrepresented composers. Emphasizing the importance of playing music written by living composers, Yulia recently gave a chamber music performance of all 20th and 21st century composers featuring Philip Glass, Caroline Shaw, Tan Dun, and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor for the Myers Park Summer Chamber Music Series.

A strong proponent of outreach, Yulia organized an Artist Residency in her hometown of Shelby, North Carolina where her quartet performed educational programs for over 1,200 elementary school students, introducing chamber music to young minds. She then worked with local high school orchestra students and held side-by-side rehearsals, sectionals, and career-relevant discussions, which culminated in a final conductor-less orchestra performance. Continuing her work to bringing excellent music and arts experiences to children and audiences beyond the formal concert setting, her quartet was invited to collaborate with the Virginia Arts Festival to perform as part of their education outreach initiative, presenting colorful and engaging programs to over 15 schools.

A dedicated teacher, Yulia is currently a teaching artist at Boston Music Project, and a private violin instructor at Brookline Music Schools. She is a recipient of the Community Performances and Partnerships Teaching Fellowship at New England Conservatory and partnered with Bridge Boston to bring music to their young students. She also partnered with Boston Hope Music Project, which works to inspire hope and provide private music lessons to frontline healthcare workers. As a violin instructor she wants to share her love for music by developing the next generation of musicians and music lovers. Yulia maintains an active private violin studio in the Boston area and is committed to fostering the growth of new artists and aims to make classical music more accessible by creating an inclusive and welcoming space.

Yulia completed her Bachelor’s of Music in Violin Performance at East Carolina University under the tutelage of Ara Gregorian and Hye-Jin Kim; and completed her Suzuki Pedagogy Certification with Joanne Bath. During her time at ECU, she also obtained a B.S. in Communications and a B.A. in Asian Studies. Yulia received her Master’s degree of Music in Violin Performance at New England Conservatory, where she is studied under Soovin Kim. Other notable teachers and mentors over the years include Dr. Ernest Pereira of the Charlotte Symphony, Jason Horowitz of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Jorge Richter, and Suzuki violin instructor Kathy Allison.

When Yulia is not teaching/playing the violin, you can find her at a coffee shop, painting, or taking walks.