Julia Gish-Salerno

Julia Gish-Salerno serves as Professor of Violin and Viola at Eastern Washington University. Her accomplishments include winning first prize and the festival medal in the 2000 Seattle Young Artists Music Festival, national finalist for the String division of the 2001 MTNA collegiate competition, and being the String division Young Artist Winner of Musicfest Northwest in 2004. Gish-Salerno has also served as concertmaster of many orchestras, including three years at the University of Michigan. During their 2004 season, the UM orchestra made the Grammy Award-winning recording of William Bolcom’s Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, conducted by Leonard Slatkin. Julia was concertmaster and a violin soloist in that recording.

Ms. Gish-Salerno has been featured as a soloist with several orchestras, including the Walla Walla University Orchestra, Andrews University Orchestra, Northwest Philharmonia, Spokane Symphony, Ann Arbor Symphony, Southern Adventist University Symphony and, on three occasions, the Walla Walla Symphony. Julia also appeared with the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra in Prague and presented a recital for their International Diplomat Series.

While in Los Angeles, Julia enjoyed many other aspects of being a musician, including a small appearance in the 2009 movie The Soloist, the 2009 Academy Awards Governors Ball Orchestra, a PBS Documentary honoring Ella Fitzgerald, and performances with musicians like Stevie Wonder and Natalie Cole. She also participated in chamber performances with principal musicians from the Los Angeles Philharmonic and performed in the popular Classical Underground chamber music series with her USC piano trio.

Julia started her musical training at age two. Her teachers have included Kathleen Spring, Margaret Pressley, Stephen Shipps, Lyndon Johnston-Taylor, and Martin Chalifour. Julia has been a scholarship student at several summer festivals including the Encore School for Strings, Indiana University String Academy, and four years at the Meadowmount School of Music.

Julia was awarded major scholarships for music study at the University of Michigan where she received her B.M. in violin performance, and University of Southern California, where she received her M.M. and D. M. A., respectively, in violin performance summa cum laude.