Julia Elomaa (born 2007) began her piano studies at the Turku Conservatory in 2013 under the guidance of Jaana Luuppala. She received her certificate for advanced studies in the spring of 2021 and was accepted into the Youth Piano Academy Finland in the summer of the same year. She pursued a combined triple qualification at Puolalanmäki Upper Secondary School and the Turku Conservatory, completing the programme in an accelerated three-year period and graduating in spring 2026. Her studies have been supported by grants and awards from the Finnish Cultural Foundation and the Pro Musica Foundation. In autumn 2026, she will continue her studies as a scholar at the Royal College of Music in London.
Julia has taken part in masterclasses led by a wide range of internationally acclaimed pianists, including Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Angela Hewitt, Henri Sigfridsson, Tony Yike Yang, Severin von Eckardstein, and Mackenzie Melemed. In addition to the Youth Piano Academy periods, she has participated in courses organized by the Nurmes Summer Academy, Raudaskylän Soiva Kesä, and Palazzo Ricci.
She has appeared as a soloist with several Finnish orchestras, recently performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 with Akademiska Orkestern. Earlier in 2026, her interpretation of the concerto’s first movement with the Vaasa City Orchestra was described in Ilkka-Pohjalainen as “a pure delight evoking shivers”. She has also performed with ensembles including Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Aura Sinfonia and Camerata Vihti. She has taken part in numerous festivals and events across Finland, including Mänttä Music Festival and Riihimäki Summer Concerts.
Julia has received recognition in several international and national piano competitions. Most recently, she was awarded First Prize in the “Young Artists” category at the Nordic Junior Piano Competition in Sweden (2025), and won Category D of the London International Chopin Competition for Young Pianists in the same year. Her previous accolades include prizes at the Pianoaura Competition in Turku (2016, 2019, and 2023), the Steinway Piano Competition in Helsinki (2016), the Stockholm International Music Competition (2017), the International Tapiola Piano Competition (2019), and the Canada International Youth Piano Festival (2021). In 2023, she was recognized at the Ilmari Hannikainen Chamber Music Competition, followed by wins at the WPTA Finland Piano Competition and the International Debussy Music Competition in 2024. Additionally, she was a prizewinner at the Leevi Madetoja Piano Competition (2025). She was honored as well with a special mention at the Nordic Junior Piano Competition in 2023 for her outstanding interpretation of a contemporary work.