Meet Julie Norman
Welcome! I am a professional operatic soprano, voice teacher, and vocal & performance coach in the Netherlands.
My practice is founded on one simple principle: every singer has a unique voice, and that voice needs a chance to grow from a healthy technique.
Growing up with a family of musicians and music teachers meant a lot of the same things for me that it does for others who share this upbringing: I was reading music before I could read actual books, held my first violin before I knew how to ride a bike, and was telling my second grade class that my favorite music was Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in g minor. Classical music was a part of my language and identity before I really knew who I was.
Like many young musicians, I gained the fundamentals of music through instrumental study (violin, piano, music theory) - but I first fell in love with singing by listening to Broadway recordings, famous opera singers, and jazz legends like Ella Fitzgerald. A wonderful way to embrace vocal performance as my own distinct passion… but not necessarily the best way to discover my own voice.
After years of embracing the stage as a singer, dancer, and actor, I began my Master’s degree in the Opera Department at the Eastman School of Music, where I studied with Metropolitan Opera legend Rita Shane. Rather than assigning me operatic repertoire in our first lesson together, Rita made me sit in a chair and sing basic vocal exercises, and that was what we did for several months before she allowed me to touch a single aria. I had not yet discovered how to sing with my own instrument, and had built years of tension and bad habits in order to try to sound “like one of the greats.” She was determined to strip all of that away so that we could discover what my actual voice sounded like, and what it was capable of.
The lesson was clear: the greatest artists are not imitations of one another. They learn to understand and use the instrument they already possess. After my first year at Eastman, re-learning the fundamentals of singing with Rita, the real work began - and I soon enjoyed singing repertoire and roles I could perform with ease and expression for years to come. This training set the foundation for my own practice as a singer and teacher.
As a professional singer, I have performed throughout both the United States and Europe. In the United States, I sang leading roles in opera productions and appeared as a soloist in recitals and concerts. After moving to the Netherlands, I continued my performing career through projects with the Orfeo Foundation, the Dutch National Touring Opera (Nederlandse Reisopera), and numerous recital and concert performances in the Netherlands and Belgium. I continue to perform regularly in Europe.
Alongside my performing career, I have enjoyed teaching voice to students of all ages and levels, directing theatrical productions, and presenting masterclasses at schools and educational institutions, using the vocal pedagogy and techniques passed down to me from my education.
In my lessons, we develop the technical foundations of healthy singing - including breath support, posture, resonance, intonation, and efficient vocal production - while exploring repertoire that suits each singer's individual voice and goals. The objective is not simply to sing well today, but to build a technique that supports artistic freedom and long-term vocal health.
For singers preparing auditions or performances, I also offer coaching in stage presence, character development, interpretation, and general performance preparation.
Although my own background is in classical voice and opera, I welcome singers from a wide range of musical backgrounds and of all ages. Every student begins with an introductory”trial” lesson so that we can become acquainted and determine the approach that best supports their development.
Whether your goal is to prepare for the stage, strengthen your technique, or simply enjoy singing more fully, my aim is the same: to help you develop a healthy, expressive, and confident voice that is uniquely your own.
