Julia Ageyeva Hess is an internationally recognized harpsichordist. She began her musical training as a pianist in her native Estonia. In 1998 she moved to the United States to continue her studies and developed a passion for harpsichord and historical performance. After receiving B.Mus. and M.Mus. degrees (both cum laude) from Arizona State University, Julia Ageyeva Hess moved to New York where she received a doctorate in harpsichord performance at SUNY Stony Brook in 2011. Julia’s teachers include Arthur Haas, Eckart Sellheim, John Metz and Kimberly Marshall and she has participated in master classes with Lars Ulrik Mortensen, Kenneth Weiss, Andrew Lawrence King, Patrick Ayrton and Ketil Haugsand.
Julia Ageyeva Hess has appeared in concerts in the USA, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Italy and Russia, and has performed at numerous festivals, including the Boston, Berkeley, Amherst and Connecticut Early Music Festivals. During 2001-2009, she was harpsichordist and founding member of the California-based early music group Galileo Project. In 2004-2005 Julia Ageyeva Hess was organist and music director in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Patchogue, NY; in 2008-2009 she served as pianist in St. Jerome’s Catholic Church in El Cerrito, CA. In Estonia, she collaborated with partners such as NYYD Ensemble, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and Tallinn Baroque Orchestra, and formed a harpsichord duo with Prof. Imbi Tarum. Julia Ageyeva Hess performed as a soloist with Golden Age and Pratum Integrum Orchestras in Moscow.
She received prizes at the Paola Bernardi competition in Bologna in 2013 (including the Mariolina De Robertis prize for best performance of a contemporary piece), Second International Volkonsky Harpsichord Competition in Moscow in 2013 and Westfield International Harpsichord Competition in Washington in 2012, and she received a diploma as a finalist at the First International Volkonsky Harpsichord Competition.
In 2016 Julia moved to Freiburg, Germany where she lives with her theorbo player husband Gary Hess and their two daughters. Since 2017 she teaches harpsichord and piano at the Heidelberg Music School.
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Julia Ageyeva Hess alustas klaveriõpinguid Nõmme Muusikakoolis ja jätkas G. Otsa Muusikakoolis Mailis Põllu juhendusel. 1998. aastal siirdus ta Ameerika Ühendriikidesse, kus süvenes klavessiinimängu ja ajaloolise esituspraktika küsimustesse. Peale bakalaureuse ja magistrikraadi (mõlemad cum laude) omandamist Arizona Ülikoolist läks ta New Yorki, kus sai 2011. aastal doktorikraadi Stony Brooki Ülikoolis. Julia Ageyeva Hessi õpetajate hulgas on Arthur Haas, Eckart Sellheim ja John Metz ning ta on täiendanud ennast Lars Ulrik Mortenseni, Ketil Haugsandi, Andrew Lawrence Kingi, Kenneth Weissi ja Imbi Tarumi meistrikursustel.
Julia Ageyeva Hess on mitmete konkursside laureaat: Paola Bernardi konkurss Bolognas 2013, II A. Volkonski Klavessiinikonkurss Moskvas 2013, Westfieldi Klavessiinikonkurss Washingtonis 2012, lisaks diplom I Volkonski Klavessiinikonkursilt 2010. Julia Ageyeva Hess on esinenud USA-s ja paljudes Euroopa riikides, sealhulgas Bostoni, Berkeley, Amhersti ja Connecticuti vanamuusika festivalidel. 2001-2009 osales ta klavessinisti ja asutajaliikmena vanamuusika ansambli Galileo Project tegevuses Californias. Eestis on ta teinud koostööd Tallinna Kammerorkestriga, Tallinna Barokkorkestriga, NYYD ansambliga, Imbi Tarumiga, Kädy Plaasiga ja Meelis Orgsega. Moskvas on ta esinenud solistina orkestritega Golden Age ja Pratum Integrum.
Alates 2016 aasta sügisest elab Julia Saksamaal ning õpetab klavessiini ja klaverit Heidelbergi muusikakoolis.
Tallinna Klavessiinifestival 