The American soprano Phyllis Bryn-Julson was born in Bowdon, North Dakota, and trained as a pianist at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. Encouraged by Gunther Schuller, she undertook vocal study at Tanglewood, later studying at Syracuse University. In 1966, she made an acclaimed debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Berg’s Lulu Suite. This success was followed by a long career with major conductors and orchestras throughout the United States and Europe, including the New York Philharmonic under Pierre Boulez, with whom she became a regular collaborator. Although she has sung a wide repertoire, the purity of her voice, a three-octave range, and perfect pitch have made her internationally renowned as an interpreter of 20th-century music. She toured throughout the world with the Ensemble Intercontemporain under Boulez and gave recitals at the Salzburg and Warsaw festivals. Many of her recordings have received awards. Bryn-Julson is professor of voice at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1988, she became the first American ever to give a master class at the Moscow Conservatory.
(Updated: 3/14/2019)
