Praised by The New York Times for her “rich, full and slightly earthy” voice, soprano Julie Adams continues to garner acclaim on leading international stages. A winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the George London Award, and the Elizabeth Connell Prize, she is recognized as a rising force in the dramatic soprano repertoire.

Recent highlights include her acclaimed role debut as Elsa in Lohengrin at San Francisco Opera under Eun Sun Kim, a role debut as Senta in Der fliegende Holländer at Des Moines Metro Opera, Gerhilde in Die Walküre with Opernhaus Zürich and Atlanta Opera; and Sieglinde in the same piece at Stadttheater Bern. She also appeared as Elisabeth in Tannhäuser at Wuppertal Opera, sang Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with the Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal, and returned to Braunschweig for the title role in Rusalka. Upcoming performances include her debut at the Bayerische Staatsoper as Gerhilde in Die Walküre and a return to San Francisco Opera for to-be-announced performances.

In the 2019-2020 season, Adams returned to Arizona Opera as Mimì in La bohème after her 2018-2019 house debut with Arizona Opera as Anna Sorensen in Silent Night by Kevin Puts. Also in 2018-2019, Adams made her house debut with Des Moines Metro Opera as Mimì in La bohème, and was featured in recital under the auspices of the George London Foundation. Orchestral engagements included Beethoven’s Symphony Number 9 with the Phoenix Symphony conducted by Tito Muñoz, and a concert version of West Side Story with the Oakland Symphony. 

The 2017-2018 season saw Adams return to San Francisco Opera as a guest artist in Francesca Zambello’s production of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, singing Freia in Das Rheingold and Gerhilde in Die Walküre. Additional engagements included her house and role debut as Countess in Le nozze di Figaro at Michigan Opera Theatre, conducted by Stephen Lord, and her house debut at Opera Idaho as Blanche in Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire. 

Highlights at San Francisco Opera include Mimì conducted by Carlo Montanaro, First Lady in the Jun Kanako production of Die Zauberflöte, Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Kristina in Makropulos Case, Cesira in the world premiere of Marco Tutino’s La Ciociara, and covering both Eva in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and the title role in Jenůfa. 

Additional operatic highlights include appearances as Mimì in La Bohème and Anna Sørensen in Silent Night with Opera San Jose, her role debut as Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire as part of the 2014 Merola Opera Program, Lia in Debussy’s L’Enfant Prodigue at the International Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, and Magnolia Hawks in Show Boat and Rose in Street Scene with the Oakland East Bay Symphony. Additional roles include Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Blanche in Les Dialogues des Carmélites, and Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. On the recital stage Adams was featured as part of the Schwabacher Debut Recital series with John Churchwell, which the San Francisco Chronicle praised for her “combination of plush tone and seeming effortless vocal power.” 

Orchestral performances include Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with Contra Costa Wind Symphony, and a chamber concert with San Francisco Opera musicians as part of SF Opera Lab’s Chamberworks Concerts, with repertoire including Morgen! by Strauss, Previn’s Vocalise, Eternamente by Ponchielli, and Chausson’s Chanson Perpetuelle. Haydn’s Mass in C Major with Oakland East Bay Symphony, Brahms’ Requiem, and Vivaldi’s Gloria with Ventura College Orchestra, and a set of five Joseph Marx Lieder with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Orchestra.

A native of Burbank, California, Adams holds both Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where she was awarded the Phyllis C Wattis Memorial Scholarship.