Scholars@Duke

Percussionist Julia Thompson performs regularly with the North Carolina Symphony, North Carolina Opera, Carolina Ballet, Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle, and the Colorado MahlerFest. Locally, she has also appeared with New Music Raleigh, Carolina Brass, numerous national touring shows, theater companies, and regional orchestras. Julia holds degrees from UNC-Greensboro (BA-Percussion Performance/Music History), UNC-Chapel Hill (MS-Library Science), and completed additional graduate percussion study at the University of Cincinnati-College/Conservatory of Music. Her principal teachers include James Culley, Russell Burge, Allen Otte, Scott Pollard, Lynn Glassock, and John R. Beck.

Julia enjoys a dual career as a librarian, for which she has trained in multiple disciplines, and held diverse positions– from the Classics Librarian at UNC-Chapel Hill, to various work in music librarianship, reference, special collections, rare books, and bibliography. Also trained as an orchestra librarian, Julia currently serves as librarian for the North Carolina Opera, and works with numerous other performing arts organizations, universities, public libraries, and information centers. Julia was previously the Library Fellow with the New World Symphony (Miami Beach, FL) and trained further with the Metropolitan Opera, New York Public Library, and North Carolina Symphony.