Julie-Michelle Manohar

Julie-Michelle Manohar (soprano) is a classical and jazz vocalist. She is pursuing a Graduate Diploma in opera at the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying with Dina Kuznetsova. She completed her Bachelor of Music degree at CIM (2023), double majoring in opera and music theory, with a Eurhythmics minor. She was selected to sing in baroque masterclasses led by Dame Emma Kirkby, James (Jimmy) Taylor, Daniel Taylor, and Molly Netter. In 2022 and 2023, she placed 2nd at the Ohio NATS student auditions, presenting baroque music in both competitions. This past fall, she was a soprano soloist in the Orfeus before Gluck production by Case Western Reserve University Historical Performance Practice. This year, with the Duffy Liturgical Dance Ensemble, she was featured on the African-American Spiritual “Motherless Child.” She was selected as a soloist in the 2017 Honors Performance Series Choir at Sydney Opera House conducted by Dr. Jeffery Ames and sang a soli at HPS at Carnegie Hall in 2018, led by Dr. Jeffery Redding.

 In addition to baroque and chamber singing, she is passionate about opera theater and new music. With CIM Opera Theater, she has performed partial roles: “Oscar” in Verdi’s In Ballo in Maschera, “Susanna” in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, “Carolina” in Cimarosa’s Il Matrimonio Segreto and “Marie” in Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment. In 2022, Manohar was the soprano soloist in the world premiere of Steven Mark Kohn’s “Will We No Longer Recognize this Place?,” part of Yolanda Kondonassis’ Five Minutes for Earth benefit concert. She recently sang in Emma Cardon’s The Maligned and performed the principal role of “Alma” in A Storm We Call Progress by the same composer. 

Aside from singing, she regularly tutors preparatory, collegiate, and conservatory students in music theory and Eurhythmics, and she teaches supplemental theory classes at CIM. She is passionate about creating positive change in her community, serving as a Co-President of Social Justice at CIM and the Women’s Empowerment Association, and working as the Graduate Ambassador of the institute’s Student Government Association. Manohar enjoys staying active through yoga and various dance forms such as tap, salsa, modern, and hip-hop. She holds a 3º black belt in TaeKwonDo and is learning Krav Maga. She continuously draws inspiration from all these forms of movement, often incorporating them into her storytelling.