Migenes-Johnson, Julia
Migenes-Johnson, Julia
Migenes-Johnson, Julia, American soprano; b. N.Y, March 13, 1945. She studied at the H.S. of Music and Art in N.Y, and while still a student sang in a televised concert performance of Copland’s The 2ndHurricane under Bernstein’s direction; then appeared in West Side Story and Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway. On Sept. 29, 1965, she made her operatic debut at the N.YC. Opera as Annina in The Saint of Bleecker Street. She then pursued training in Vienna, where she sang at the Volksoper, and also studied with Gisela Ultmann in Cologne. In 1978 she made her first appearance at the San Francisco Opera as Musetta. Her Metropolitan Opera debut in N.Y took place on Dec. 10, 1979, as Jenny in The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. In 1983 she sang with the Vienna State Opera. She gained international acclaim for her sultry portrayal of Carmen in Francesco Rosi’s film version of Bizet’s opera in 1984. In 1985 she returned to the Metropolitan Opera as Berg’s Lulu. She won accolades for her compelling performances as Strauss’s Salome.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire