Bio

Leading artist Juliana Mesa is one of the first Colombian bassoonists to have released a solo album in the classical music scene. Juliana’s most recent album Osvaldo Lacerda´s Music for Bassoon released in September 2019, includes a selection of original works for bassoon in different chamber and solo ensembles composed by Brazilian composer Osvaldo Lacerda. Winner two years of the Irving Shain Woodwind/Piano Competition at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Juliana is a Doctor in Musical Arts, a dedicated pedagogue and has been working with the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras as a substitute bassoonist and coach and with Music Makers as membership coordinator. Juliana Mesa is enjoys the endorsement of BG France as Performing Artist.

She is an active recitalist in the Madison area, the US, and Colombia and is always searching for new Latin-American repertoire for the bassoon. She was invited as a recitalist for the 47th International Double Reed Society Conference in 2018 with the performance "Two Latin-American Pieces for Bassoon and Clarinet", featuring duos by Colombian composer Andres Posada and Brazilian composer Osvaldo Lacerda. Juliana is the founder of the  Underground Chamber Collective and has given performances with this ensemble featuring works for both string and woodwind instruments. Some recent performances include Weber’s Andante and Rondo Ungarese and Beethoven’s Septet.

As a soloist, Ms. Mesa offered W. A. Mozart's Bassoon Concerto in 2014 with the EAFIT Symphony Orchestra and Vivadi’s Concert in D minor with the Camera Jaibaná in 2015. As a guest artist she has been invited to perform and teach at Lynn University Conservatory in Boca Raton, FL in 2017 and the School of Performing Arts at Virgina Tech in Blacksburg, VA in 2019. As a member of Black Marigold Wind Quintet, Juliana recorded a single of Brian DuFord´s "Beer Music" in 2018 currently available for download through Bandcamp. Juliana has also collaborated in other discographic productions such as the “Interacciones musicales vol. 2”, where she recorded Alba Potes’ “Tres miniaturas para las mariposas ausentes”, and albums “Salmos Reponsoriales” and “Alegrate Maria” with the ensemble Cantonuevo (2001-2002).

As an orchestral musician, she has performed in the Wisconsin Philharmonic, Madison and Beloit/Janesville Symphony Orchestras, Middleton Community Orchestra, FRESCO Opera, EAFIT Symphony Orchestra, Medellin Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia, the Youth Symphony Orchestra from El Salvador, and the Schola Cantorum Brasiliense. She has played also with orchestras from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, the Universities El Bosque, Javeriana, National University of Colombia, and Corpas. Ms. Mesa-Jaramillo has appeared as principal bassoonist with the Symphonic Band of Cundinamarca in Bogotá and was principal bassoonist and bassoon instructor at the Medellin Philharmonic Academy (now IberAcademy) from 2012 to 2015 where she performed with conductors Roberto González-Monjas, Alejandro Posada, Pablo Mielgo, and Claudio Vandelli. She was invited to participate in the Youth Orchestra of Colombia in 2014 with conductor Andrés Orozco - Estrada. During her career, she has performed in a wide variety of chamber ensembles, orchestras, and symphonic bands.

Ms. Mesa-Jaramillo was a member of the woodwind quintet Céfiro, which performed over thirty educational concerts in public schools throughout Bogota. She has also performed with Colombian music groups such as Djapá and Diluendo Trio,  the bassoon duo Fagot a Duo, Ensamble Pa' Los Cinco and Trio Palonegro, and the Woodwind Quintet Hilti-AFMED. Juliana graduated in 2010 from the master’s degree program at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts under the instruction of Saxton Rose and holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University El Bosque in Bogotá, Colombia.