Violist Jay Julio studied viola under Renee Skerik here at Interlochen, graduating in 2014 with a Young Artist Award.
Since then, they've gone on to Juilliard, performed for Italian royalty, and mentored students in the Los Angeles Inner City Youth Orchestra.
They are currently one-fourth of the LA Orchestra fellowship, and working with Sound-Off: Music for Bail to raise bail for incarcerated people in need.
Julio talked with IPR's Kate Botello, and performed two works: "Mutya ng Pasig" by Nicanor Abelardo and "Song to the Dark Virgin" by Florence Price.
Jay is in Interlochen this summer, coming full circle - teaching viola to campers!
Watch Jay's star turn in the video for "Lay Your Head on Me" by Major Lazer and Marcus Mumford (blink and you'll miss them, but you can even hear their viola for a few seconds)! We set up the video to play right before Jay's appearance:
Here's a delightful pic of Jay Julio with Renee Skerik, in Studio A in 2014:
Here, as promised in the interview, is the text to "Songs to the Dark Virgin" by Langston Hughes:
Songs to the Dark Virgin
by Langston Hughes
I.
Would
That I were a jewel,
A shattered jewel,
That all my shining brilliants
Might fall at thy feet,
Thou dark one.
II.
Would
That I were a garment,
A shimmering, silken garment,
That all my folds
Might wrap about thy body,
Absorb thy body,
Hold and hide thy body,
Thou dark one.
III.
Would
That I were a flame,
But one sharp, leaping flame
To annihilate thy body,
Thou dark one.
—–The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes, pp. 61-62
