Spanish born conductor Julia Cruz has an enthusiastic, dynamic, and communicative personality that allows her to connect with orchestras and audiences. Her repertoire ranges from Haydn to contemporary music, with a special focus on Italian Opera. She is a Britten Pears Young Artist 2023, an Award Recipient of the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship since 2022 and the Second Prize Awardee in the Blue Danube/Béla Bartók Opera Conducting Competition 2021.

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Recent engagements include her debuts with Orquesta Nacional de España, Oviedo Filarmonía and Mexico's National Opera Company -leading the Mexican premiere of Beatrix Cenci - and her return to Mexico's National Ballet Company, with whom she premiered Ciudad Delirio after leading the 2023 production of The Nutcracker at the National Auditorium. She also debuts with Ópera Terrassa conducting L'Elisir d'Amore and being immediately reinvited for upcoming productions. 

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Next engagements include her debut with Orquesta de Extremadura,  and reinvitations to Orquesta Filarmónica de la UNAM and Orquesta Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México among others. She will serve as assistant conductor for Jordi Francés on the absolute premiere of Tejas Verdes -by Jesús Torres- and the new production of La Vida Breve at Teatro Real. 

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On previous seasons, Julia also conducted Orquesta Sinfónica de Bilbao,  La Jolla Symphony and Chorus (USA) or the closing night of Festival Internacional de Música de Cambra de Godella (Spain). She also made her operatic debut with La Traviata at Kolozsvári Magyar Opera and L'Elisir d'Amore at Stara Zagora State Opera. 

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As assistant and cover conductor, Julia served under Pablo Rus at Jove Orquestra de la Generalitat Valenciana, collaborated regularly with National Orchestral Institute + Festival (USA) and with Opera de Colombia for a new production of L'Elisir d'Amore. ​

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Being deeply interested in contemporary music, she closely collaborates with diverse composers. 

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Julia was born in 1996. At age 6, she began playing the trombone, however quickly discovered conducting. She studied at Conservatorio Superior de Música de Aragón with Borja Quintas and Miquel Rodrigo, where she graduated Cum Laude, and at Zuyd University of Applied Arts, where she received a Master’s Degree in Orchestral Conducting, under Arjan Tien, and graduated with distinction. She has also studied with Federico Santi, whom she considers her mentor, and has attended masterclasses and workshops with Johannes Schlaefli, Marin Alsop, Gregory Vajda, Daniel Oren, Colin Metters, Vladimir Ponkin, and Bruno Aprea, among other conductors.