Biography


Julia Francis is an Auckland-based composer, arranger, musician, and performer. After wanting to be a composer from a young age, in 2018 she completed her Bachelor of Music degree with Honours in composition at the University of Auckland.

 

Over time, Julia has had several works recorded, workshopped, and performed by a variety of performers and groups, such as the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, APO’s ensemble, Jade String Quartet, performance students from University of Auckland and various performers at the Nelson Composers Workshop. Her orchestral work The Fall of Icarus has been workshopped and recorded by the APO in 2017. In 2018, she was selected as a finalist for the NZSO Todd Corporation Young Composer Award for the same work. In 2020, she has been selected as a finalist for her second time for the NZSO Todd Corporation Young Composer Award for her work Isolation, which was recorded and workshopped last November.

 

Julia has also been a two-time finalist in the University of Auckland Douglas Lilburn Trust Composition Competition with her works Tallulah’s Ride and Arya’s Journey. Arya’s Journey has also been workshopped and recorded by the Jade String Quartet in 2017. In 2018, Tallulah’s Ride was performed at the University of Auckland Dance Studies: Third Year Student Showcase. She is also a two-time finalist in the University of Auckland Llewelyn Jones Piano Composition Competition with her works, Unpredictable Weather at Moturoa Island and Four Miniatures for the Solar System.

 

Julia has also been named one of the Auckland Youth Choir Composer-in-Residences for 2020. In December last year, she had her work, A Night Thought, commissioned and premiered by the Auckland Youth Choir at The Final Frontier concert. This work was also awarded highly commended in the Open category of the first Compose Aotearoa competition. 

During the first few months of 2021, Julia has worked on a project for Mike Chunn’s ‘Play It Strange’, which was recorded and shared on the ‘Play It Strange’ website. The two works she arranged and orchestrated parts for were Tides by Renee Vaudrey, and Isaiah 43 by Sophie Frame. It was planned for these songs to be performed at a ‘Play It Strange’ concert by a small pop group with various performers, which unfortunately did not go ahead due to the COVID-19 outbreak.


Visit Julia’s SOUNZ profile here:

Achievements

Education

  • Bachelor of Music (Honours), Composition, Second Class Second Division, 2018

  • Bachelor of Music, Composition, 2017

Selection and Awards

  • Highly Commended Award, Compose Aotearoa 2020, for "A Night Thought” for double choir

  • Composer-in Residence for Auckland Youth Choir 2020

  • Commission for "A Night Thought” for Auckland Youth Choir: Chamber Choir at ‘The Final Frontier’ Auckland Youth Choir Concert in December, 2020

  • Finalist, NZSO Todd Corporation Young Composers Award 2020, for “Isolation” (2020) for orchestra, to be recorded at Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington

  • Selected for CANZ Composers Workshop 2020, for “Tallulah’s Ride” (2018) for solo clarinet, performed by Leah Thomas at Nelson School of Musical Arts

  • Selected for CANZ Composers Workshop 2019, for “Flute Song of Hinemoa” (2019) for chamber ensemble, performed by TrioNique (Clare Penny, Tomoni Johnson, and Gabriela Glapska), Barbara Paterson, and James Webster at Nelson School of Musical Arts

  • Finalist, NZSO Todd Corporation Young Composers Award 2018, for “The Fall of Icarus” (2017) for orchestra, recorded at Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington

  • Selected for UoA Third Year Dance Studies Student Showcase 2018, for “Tallulah’s Ride (2018) for solo clarinet and dancer(s), performed by Courtney Evison, Bethany Laycock and Rebecca Johnson (dancers) and Alysha Hardey (choreographer) at Māngere Arts Centre - Ngā Tohu o Uenuku

  • Finalist, Douglas Lilburn Trust Composition Prize Concert 2018, UoA School of Music, for “Tallulah’s Ride (2018) for solo clarinet and dancer(s), performed by Courtney Evison, Bethany Laycock (dancer), and Alysha Hardey (choreographer)

  • Selected for CANZ Composers Workshop 2018, for “The Awakening” (2018) for piano trio, performed by Laura Barton, Paul Mitchell, and Gabriela Glapska at Nelson School of Musical Arts

  • Finalist, Llewelyn Jones Prize Concert for Piano 2018, UoA School of Music, for “Unpredictable Weather at Moturoa Island” (2018) for piano duo, perfumed by Kate Sheldon and Moira Pascoe

  • Finalist, Douglas Lilburn Trust Composition Prize Concert 2017, UoA School of Music, for “Arya’s Journey” (2017) for string quartet, performed by Grace McKenzie, Richard Paull, Caroline Norman, and Joshua Taylor

  • Selected for APO Our Voice Ensemble Workshop 2017, for “Arya’s Journey” (2017) for string quartet, performed by Jade String Quartet (Miranda Adams, William Hanfling, Rob Ashworth and David Garner)

  • Selected for APO Our Voice Orchestral Workshop 2017, directed by Ray Chan, for “The Fall of Icarus” (2017) for orchestra

  • Finalist, Llewelyn Jones Prize Concert for Piano 2016, UoA School of Music, for “Four Miniatures for the Solar System” (2016) for piano, performed by Ji Huyn (Jane) Sohn