About Julianne Stein

Performance Bio

Julianne Stein, a soprano from Pittsburgh, PA, has been actively engaged in the performing arts since her youth, with experience in musicals, choirs, and bands. While at the Setnor School of Music, she took on roles such as Mrs. Nolan in The Medium, Hänsel in Humperdinck’s Hänsel and Gretel, La Maestra delle Novizie in Suor Angelica, and a genderbent Barigoule in Viardot’s Cendrillon. Julianne graduated in 2023 with degrees in Vocal Performance and a Distinction Degree in Music History and Cultures from Setnor School of Music. She continues at Syracuse University working towards a master's degree in Voice Pedagogy studying under Kathleen Roland-Silverstein.

Headshot

Artist’s Statement

     The quote “For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of stars makes me dream” by Van Gough, may perfectly describe human existence. No one knows why they were placed on this earthly plane of existence, but everyone finds their calling, a dream of sorts, that they wish to follow. My path happens to be that of music. The path combines the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic senses of the performer to convey ethos and pathos to others in a way words could never describe. 

     My musical journey began with playing the alto saxophone in the fourth grade and choir in the fifth, but it was more for fun than sport. The true inspiration for becoming a student of music was in the halls of the Byham during productions of The Musical Christmas Carol where Tom Atkin’s, the actor of Ebenezer Scrooge, ignited the flame of artistry in my soul. I began to take my vocal growth more seriously (along with the saxophone) to fill this void within my soul. Through dedication from high school through my education at Syracuse University, I have developed my chosen instrument, the voice, to be able to perform expressive pieces, like the song cycles of Schumann, to challenging 19th-century pieces, like Argento arias. My specialties lie with music found from the 19th century to the present with their smooth flowing lines that combine dramatic use of dynamics which allows for ethos and pathos to be played with. This use of dynamics, phrasing, and emotions within music is important to me as it speaks where words falter and further connects to the audience. To quote myself from an old poem I wrote in high school,

“Music heals the sound defiance

In old abundant ways unknown.

Harmony rises in silence.”

   The impact to my audience is the biggest driving agent to my work. I wish to convey and share the ethos of the character “singing” to the listeners to the greatest extent possible. My dream is through my music one is inspired to follow their dreams, as what Tom Atkins had done for me.