French Bio
Compositrice et artiste interdisciplinaire, Julia Mermelstein mélange des paysages sonores électroniques et des chorégraphies dans des performances qui créent un espace d’introspection et de surréalisme. Sa musique a été jouée partout au Canada et aux États-Unis par des ensembles et des musiciens de renom tels que les orchestres symphoniques de Toronto et de Winnipeg, l’Esprit Orchestra, Leslie Ting, Arraymusic, Joseph Petric, Ilana Waniuk, l’Ensemble de chambre North/South, Barbara Pritchard et l’Ensemble Blue Rider.
La musique de Julia Mermelstein a également été présentée aux festivals de musique nouvelle Impulse (Los Angeles) et NottNOISE (Royaume-Uni), au Vancouver New Music, à la Music Gallery, au festival de musique expérimentale Open Waters (Halifax), au CEMIcircles Intermedia Festival (Texas) et au festival de musique électronique OUA (Osaka, Japon).
Originaire de Halifax, Julia Mermelstein vit et travaille actuellement à Montréal en tant que compositrice indépendante. Elle est l’actuelle présidente de l’Association des femmes compositrices canadiennes. Elle a étudié auprès de Georges Dimitrov et a obtenu son baccalauréat en beaux-arts de l’Université Concordia. Elle a également fait des études supérieures indépendantes sous la férule de Linda Catlin Smith, de Brian Harman et de Juliet Palmer.
English Bio
Composer and interdisciplinary artist, Julia Mermelstein blends electronic soundscapes and choreography into performances that create a space for introspection and the surreal. Her music has been performed across Canada and in the USA by distinguished ensembles and musicians such as Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Esprit Orchestra, Arraymusic, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Ilana Waniuk, North/South Chamber Ensemble, Barbara Pritchard, and Blue Rider Ensemble.
Recent projects include commissions from India Gailey, Joseph Petric, and interdisciplinary collaborations with Leslie Ting, Din of Shadows, and Angela Blumberg Dance. Julia's music has also been featured at Impulse New Music Festival (LA), Vancouver New Music, NottNOISE New Music Festival (UK), The Music Gallery, Open Waters Experimental Music Festival (Halifax), CEMIcircles Intermedia Festival (Texas), and OUA Electronic Music Festival (Osaka, Japan). She was recently awarded the Trudi Le Caine Award in GroundSwell’s 2020 Emerging Composers Competition and awarded third-place in Musicworks' 2017 International Electronic Music Competition.
Originally from Halifax, Julia currently lives and works in Montréal as a freelance composer and designer at Human Collective and is currently the Chair of the Association of Canadian Women Composers. She studied with Georges Dimitrov earning her BFA from Concordia University and independent post-graduate studies with Linda Catlin Smith, Brian Harman, and Juliet Palmer.
List of Works
All scores are available through the composer and through the Canadian Music Centre. For full list of works with audio and video, visit Julia’s website.
Selection of Works
Chamber Music
density swells upclose in breath (2019) — two pianos.
Commissioned by La Fiammata Piano Duo with support from the Ontario Arts Council.
Sunder (2018) — flute, piano, and electronics.
Commissioned by Amanda Lowry and Jason White.
into a landscape, unrest (2017) — mixed ensemble: viola, bassoon, percussion, piano, and electronics.
Commissioned by Caution Tape Sound Collective
Solo
Capsule (2020) — solo bass clarinet and electronics.
Commissioned by Arraymusic, composed for Colleen Cook.
Threaded to be bound/unbound (2019) — solo double bass and electronics.
Commissioned by Caution Tape Sound, composed for Adam Scime.
IMPRINT (2019) — solo piano. Commissioned by Barbara Pritchard.
Only edges (2018) — solo piano and fixed electronics.
Commissioned by Barbara Pritchard with support from Canada Council of the Arts.
Woven, Still (2017) — multi-percussion, electronics, and movement.
Commissioned by Caution Tape Sound Collective.
Interdisciplinary Works
A frame through bodies move (2022) — soprano, live electronics, dancers, and video projections.
Commissioned by Din of Shadows in collaboration with choreographer Angela Blumberg.
Inner Forms (2019) — solo violin, solo violin, electronics, radio, and movement.
Commissioned by Ilana Waniuk.
out of grains, within clouds (2019) — two marimbas, sandpaper, wood, and electronics.
Commissioned by Din of Shadows.
drifting, vividly (2018) — mixed ensemble: alto saxophone, viola, percussion, piano, electronics, and two dancers.
Commissioned by Din of Shadows.
Orchestral
between walls (2023) — orchestra (1.1.1.1 / 1.1.1.0 / 1perc / piano / hp / strings).
Commissioned by and composed for Esprit Orchestra with support from the Ontario Arts Council.
in moments into bloom (2022) — orchestra (2.2.2.2 / 4.3.2.1 / timp + 2perc / strings).
Commissioned by and composed for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
in water suspended (2021) — orchestra (2.2.2.2 / 2.2.0.0 / piano / 1perc / strings).
Commissioned by and composed for Esprit Orchestra with support from the Ontario Arts Council.
in turn (2017) — orchestra (2.2.2.2 / 4.2.2+bass.1 / timp + 2perc / strings).
Premiered by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Julian Pelicano on January, 27, 2020.