Julia Bezems

Julia Bezems is a choral conductor and soprano currently pursuing her Master of Sacred Music in choral conducting at the University of Notre Dame, where she studies under Dr. Jerry Blackstone and Dr. Mark Doerries. Having just completed her first year, she serves as the assistant director for both the Notre Dame Children's Choir Liturgical Choir and the assistant to the director of music and liturgy at St. Matthew Cathedral in South Bend, Indiana. Originally from Allentown, Pennsylvania, Julia earned dual degrees in voice performance and computer science from the University of Michigan. During her undergraduate studies, she sang with the University Chamber Choir and as a soloist with the University Baroque Orchestra, and held the role of Director of Vocal Music at First Presbyterian Church of Northville. Prior to her time at Notre Dame, Julia lived in the Seattle area, where she worked as a software engineer at Microsoft while remaining deeply engaged in the region's choral scene. She sang with ensembles such as Seattle Pro Musica, Opus 7, and Radiance, and the Northwest Symphony Orchestra; and served as Student Assistant Conductor of the Bellevue Chamber Chorus. As the Seattle hub leader for Crescendo North America, she organized multiple collaborative choral projects with churches throughout Seattle to promote the performance of sacred music. Julia also serves as the President of the Board of Directors for Seven Mile, a non-profit dedicated to providing music, arts, and coding opportunities to Detroit youth.