Meet Jay Julio | Musician & Organizer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jay Julio and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jay, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
Integrity — whether it’s in the planning stages of a show, in pay scales, or on stage with an audience, there is nothing I prize more than a wholehearted and fair creative process. Nowadays, even the most corporate of situations can incorporate social justice-y vocabulary, but how and where one walks the walk is a true testament to someone’s character. I deal a lot with performances that revolve around a certain need in our world, and these shows serve as a blueprint for how I deal with situations in the rest of my life — if, while curating, we can’t have an approach that responds to reality from top to bottom, should we be taking charge at all? And that question shouldn’t stop us from doing what we need to do, but instead galvanize us into taking real action.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Hi everyone! My name is Jay Julio, and I’m a musician, writer, and organizer. Formerly a 2020-2022 Los Angeles Orchestra Fellow, I now serve as the Assistant Principal Viola of the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra and play across the country in traditional symphony orchestras and genre-bending productions alike. I’m also a first-generation Filipino-American and was among the first in my family to receive a college education, with degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard School.

While many of the highlights of my career so far include experiences on stage (leading sections at the Hollywood Bowl behind Burna Boy and at Carnegie Hall supporting Audra McDonald, for example), artistry, at least for me, extends far past what’s just on the biggest stages. I have been blessed since 2020 to serve (and I’m using that word twice since I believe in what it actually means) as the head of musical-abolitionist organization Sound Off: Music for Bail.

We work to make the struggles — and creativity, and joy — of communities disproportionately impacted by the US / global prison-industrial complex visible through artistic productions at the highest level that combine musicians and composers from those communities with speakers that identify injustice and are working to rectify it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
It’s my firm belief that the best Filipino food is cooked at home, preferably where my mom lives. With that being said anyone hanging in LA with me for a week is going to get hit at least with these recs:

Breakfast at Bagnet at least twice. And Obet and Del’s has gotten a lot of love but most certainly needs more. The line at Lasita @ Far East Plaza is already so long so I feel like I might regret shouting them out, but the cider selection alone is worth the hour+ wait at peak times.

While you’re waiting for your reservation at Lasita, endorffeine is a sleek place in the same complex to grab something to sip. And if you’re looking for something else to sip, Boomtown Brewery (not too far away!) has my heart — plus they sometimes double as a stage too!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shout out to everyone working towards justice! & Wilfred, Sam, Myles, Imani, Malik, Hannah, Cathy, Laura — my LA crew!

Website: jayjulio.com

Instagram: jay.julio

Other: Sound Off also has social media if there’s the possibility of sharing that: FB: Sound Off: Music for Bail IG: soundoff.musicforbail.com YouTube: Sound Off: Music for Bail

Image Credits
first image credit (one of just me): Cristina Cutts Dougherty all others: Sound Off: Music for Bail