JL
Julia Lagahuzere
Opera for Peace
Founder & General Director
Biography
Named Femme de Culture in 2020, awarded the title of Chevalière de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2023, and recognized as Femme d'Influence in the Culture category in 2024, Julia Lagahuzère has established herself as an international voice for opera, innovation, and cultural diplomacy. She is the Founder and General Director of Opera for Peace – Leading Voices of the World, a non-profit organization that supports the careers of outstanding young singers from all six continents, offering opportunities that might not otherwise be accessible. In return, these artists commit to mentoring and inspiring the next generation, creating a cycle of excellence, transmission, and global dialogue. Opera for Peace is guided by values of artistic quality, international exchange, and the power of mentorship.
From 2014 to 2019, Julia was Deputy Casting Director at the Opéra National de Paris, one of the world’s leading opera houses. There she contributed to the casting of productions at both the Palais Garnier and the Opéra Bastille, collaborating with renowned artists and discovering emerging voices. Her earlier roles at San Francisco Opera, Scottish Opera, and the Opéra de Limoges provided her with valuable international experience across diverse cultural and artistic contexts.
Julia studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and the University of Sussex, later receiving a fellowship in musicology at the University of California, Berkeley. She also earned a Master’s degree in Opera and Visual Performing Arts from King’s College London.
Alongside Opera for Peace, Julia founded Circular Culture, an initiative that connects the performing arts with the values of the circular economy, highlighting how creativity and sustainability can inform one another. This work has led her to be invited as a guest lecturer at institutions including ISPI, LUISS, Sciences Po Paris, La Sapienza, and the Global Leaders Program, where she shares her perspective on the intersections between culture, leadership, and global change.
She also serves as Ambassador for SUMUS and the ONTM – Osservatorio Nazionale Tutela del Mare, two Italian associations dedicated to shaping new societal models inspired by the vitality of the natural world. Julia Lagahuzère’s mission reflects her conviction that opera and the arts can act as catalysts for dialogue, learning, and meaningful change on a global scale.
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