GRAMMY win for „Walking In The Dark“

Julia Bullock and husband Christian Reif — music director of Lakes Area Music Festival — took home a Grammy award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album at the 66th annual awards ceremony Sunday, Feb. 4.

In an email to the Dispatch, Bullock said she was delighted by the news.

“I didn’t realize how much it excited me to be honored in this way for my debut album, until it happened,” she wrote.

“Walking in the Dark” features Bullock as a soloist, with Reif joining on piano as well as conductor on two pieces with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London.

“He’s an amazing, committed collaborative partner,” she said of her husband. “As a conductor, Christian views himself as the mediator to help musicians communicate. It’s heaven.”

The work was almost 25 years in the making, when Bullock thinks about how long she’s been listening to and singing along with certain songs for the album. From her first conversations with the recording label until the album’s release date, though, was about 2 1/2 years, with the COVID-19 pandemic having an impact.

“Walking in the Dark” is Bullock’s solo recording debut and showcases her voice in a collection of traditional spirituals, jazz and American classical works. Her inspiration while singing, she said, comes from “living life currently, reflecting on history constantly, and making connections that are lasting and loving.”

Full article of the Brainerd Dispatch here