Who is Phyllis Bryn-Julson?
Phyllis Mae Bryn-Julson (born February 5, 1945) is an American operatic soprano and pedagogue. A native of Bowdon, North Dakota, Bryn-Julson is one of five children born to Norwegian parents. She initially studied to be a pianist at Concordia College; while there she came to the attention of Gunther Schuller, who was impressed by her ability to sight-read 12-tone music. He persuaded her to study singing at the Berkshire Music Center, where Erich Leinsdorf became a mentor. Further study came at Syracuse University under Helen Boatwright; there she received both her bachelor's degree in music in 1967 and her master's degree of music in voice in 1969. She made her official debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra on October 28, 1966, performing the Lulu Suite of Alban Berg. This marked the beginning of a career in which she was associated largely with the work of modern and contemporary composers such as Milton Babbitt, John Cage, David Del Tredici, Olivier Messiaen, Krzysztof Penderecki,...