ABOUT
Julia Ekström is a 27 year old composer from Sweden who writes contemporary music inspired by romanticism, impressionism and jazz. She has a bachelor’s degree of music in composition from the Malmö Academy of Music and her music has been performed by ensembles like Gotlandsmusiken, Ensemble Mare Balticum and the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra.
Ekström has collaborated with Kalmar Länsmusik on several occasions; in 2021 she participated in their concert series ”Unga Musiker Kalmar Län”, in 2022 she wrote the music for ”Cirkusstoft” – a children’s opera, in 2023 Mönsterås Musikkår premiered Julia’s piece ”Raincheck” and in 2024 Julia wrote the music to ”Mycket Väsen för Ingenting” – a play by William Shakespeare, directed by Carolina Johansson.
Julia is also one of the three founders of Orkester Moderna Musica, based in Malmö, which at the moment is the youngest symphony orchestra in Sweden that performs contemporary music.
EARLY LIFE & EDUCATION
Julia grew up in of Småland, where she found great inspiration for her music, being close to nature and the ocean. She started out as a classical pianist but realised quite early on that writing music was her biggest passion, and applied for the composition program at St Sigfrids folkhögskola in Växjö straight after graduating in 2015. After two years there she moved to Stockholm where she continued her studies at Lilla Akademien for a year, before applying to Gotlands Tonsättarskola in 2018. The following year she got accepted at the Malmö Academy of Music where she studied composition for Rolf Martinsson, recieving her bachelor’s degree in 2022.
In 2023 Ekström was granted Föreningen Svenska Tonsättares scholarship for her music.
