Having graduated from the Academy of Music „Gh. Dima” in the class of Professors Gheorghe Roșu and Stefan Ronai, mezzo-soprano Iulia Merca was initially a collaborator (between 2000 and 2008) and starting with 2009 the soloist at the Romanian Opera in Cluj-Napoca, position which she still holds nowadays. In 19 years of activity with the Cluj ensemble she debuted in several shows performed for the first time, such as Maria de Buenos Aires (A. Piazolla), Oreste / Oedipe (C. Țăranu), Nabucco 12 (performance by A. Hausvater on the music of G. Verdi), Rake’s Progress (I. Stravinsky), Tannhauser (R. Wagner), Werther (J. Massenet), Zorba (M. Theodorakis) or Let Me Sing (Gh. Dendrino), and others. In the preparation of repertoire roles such as Carmen, Rosina, Angelina, Eliza Doolitle or Dorabella, she received the guidance of Mrs. Niculina Mirea, a renowned lyrical artist and pedagogue, veteran at the Romanian Opera in Cluj-Napoca.
She also participated in various masterclass sessions in Romania and abroad, led by Ionel Pantea (Bucharest 2000), Stephano Gibellato (Venice 2002), Anthony Spiry (Schwetzingen 2003), Sonia Ghazarian (Vienna 2005), Diane Soveiro (New York 2010), Viorica Cortez (Cluj 2016), Giuseppe Sabbatini (Sofia, Rome 2017).
Her artistic activity includes chamber music and poetry concerts, opera, musical and theater performances, her interpretations being appreciated on several meridians (Tokyo, New York and Kullu, India).
