Julio Cruz

Doctor of Musical Arts – Tuba

New York native, Julio Cruz, is currently a Doctor of Musical Arts student at the University of Washington in Seattle, studying with Chris Olka, principal tuba of the Seattle Symphony. Julio has performed throughout the east coast, northern California, as well as internationally in Italy and France. Mr. Cruz has had the opportunity to perform under the batons of Maestros Michael Tilson Thomas, Marin Alsop, Ludovic Morlot, and Alasdair Neale. Ensembles with which Julio has performed have included the New World Symphony, Plymouth Philharmonic, and Chesapeake Orchestra. He has also performed with jazz artist Dave Douglas, under the baton of Mark Gould, at New York's Festival of New Trumpet Music and has performed with the Orchestra Miami for Andrea Bocelli's Christmas Concert tour. Mr. Cruz has participated in the Alba International Music Festival in Piedmont, Italy and was a participant in the Institute for Performance Success Summer Seminar in Phoenix, Arizona as well as the Atlantic Brass Quintet Seminar in Boston, Massachusetts. This summer Julio has been selected as a performer for the Pokorny Low Brass Seminar at the University of Redlands. Julio's principal teachers have included Toby Hanks, former Tubist of the New York City Ballet Orchestra and New York Brass Quintet, and Ken Amis, Tubist of the renowned Empire Brass Quintet. Most recently Mr. Cruz received a Professional Performer's Certificate from the University of Connecticut, under the tutelage of Dr. Louis Hanzlik of the American Brass Quintet and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. He completed his Master of Music degree at the Lynn University Conservatory of Music, received his Bachelor of Music degree at the Manhattan School of Music and has also done undergraduate work at Johns Hopkins University's Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, Maryland.