Yulia Watanabe-Price

Violinist and educator Yulia Watanabe-Price is excited to be joining the Omaha Symphony for its 2026–2027 season.

Prior to joining the Omaha Symphony, Yulia was a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Elgin Symphony Orchestra, and South Bend Symphony Orchestra. As a freelance musician, she has performed with various groups, including the Portland Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Charleston Symphony, and Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra. Her festival appearances include the Spoleto Music Festival, Britt Music Festival, Madeline Island Chamber Music Festival, and Bay Chamber Concerts’ Screen Door Festival. Recent engagements include a season with Sarasota Opera and performances with the Four Seasons Music Festival, where she was the 2023–2024 Artist Fellow.

Alongside her performance career, Yulia has been a strong advocate for music education and outreach and has organized residencies and performed educational programs for thousands of students nationwide. She previously taught at Ravinia’s El Sistema program and was involved in community outreach initiatives such as the Civic Mentorship Program and the Civic Chamber Music Series, presenting contemporary chamber music to diverse audiences throughout Chicago.

Yulia earned her Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from East Carolina University, where she studied with Ara Gregorian and Hye-Jin Kim, and completed her Suzuki Pedagogy Certification with Joanne Bath. During her time at ECU, she also completed a B.S. in Communications and a B.A. in Asian Studies. She holds a Master of Music in Violin Performance from New England Conservatory, where she studied under Soovin Kim.

When Yulia isn’t in rehearsal, she enjoys spending time in coffee shops, taking long walks, trying new restaurants, playing volleyball, painting, and, most recently, playing pool!