Julianna Banfe is a 22-year-old mezzo-soprano, actress, and music director/arranger from Moorestown, New Jersey. She is currently pursuing a B.M. in Vocal Performance at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she studied with Deanne Meek and continues her training with Paulina Villarreal. She is a proud recipient of the Susan Cartland-Bode Scholarship and the Marianne Felton Scholarship, as well as a member of the Hutton Honors College. Julianna most recently played Laurey Williams in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! and Un Pâtre in Ravel’s L'enfant et Les Sortilèges, both with IU Opera and Ballet Theater. She made her her operatic role debut last summer as Celia in Chicago Summer Opera’s production of Handel’s Silla. There, she studied with Viktoria Vizin and performed in a masterclass for Elizabeth Byrne. This summer, she will join the Hawai‘i Performing Arts Festival as Carrie Pipperidge in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel, continuing her work in Golden Age repertoire alongside her operatic training.

Having an extensive background in choral music, Julianna has performed with ensembles ranging from chamber choirs to large symphonic choruses. In 2024, Julianna joined the contemporary vocal ensemble NOTUS, under the direction of Dominick DiOrio. In 2022, she made her Carnegie Hall debut as part of the Music-Fest Rising Talents festival, performing Passereau’s “Il est bel et bon” as part of a vocal quartet. Julianna is also a proud alumna of the Philadelphia Girls Choir, with whom she has performed at venues such as The Academy of Music and The Kimmel Center, as well as in Spain, France, the UK, and Germany.

An advocate for crossover music, Julianna has also found a home in pop singing and arranging. Two months into her first year at college, she co-founded The Bloomingtones, an all-treble a cappella group at Indiana University. Since 2024, she has served as the group’s co-music director, teaching and arranging repertoire. Most recently, The Bloomingtones won first first runner-up at the ICCA Midwest Quarterfinals, advanced to Semifinals, and received the special award for Outstanding Arrangement. They have also won first runner-up twice at IU Sing Acapella and have performed at IU’s Little 500 race, singing the national anthem and “Back Home Again in Indiana.” You can find more of Julianna’s arrangements and “vocal stacks” on her TikTok and Instagram pages, as well as pop and musical theater covers.

Julianna is also pursuing a minor in business through IU’s Kelley School of Business. She currently serves as student manager at the Jacob’s Office of Entrepreneurship and Career Development, providing Jacobs students with the resources and support they need to build a sustainable career in the arts. Outside of music, Julianna enjoys staying active, crocheting, journaling, and spending time with her friends, family, and dogs.