Originally from Montreal, she discovered choral singing at the age of eight—a passion that soon became her vocation. She pursued classical voice studies at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal with Gabrielle Lavigne, then completed a master’s degree in choral conducting at the Université de Sherbrooke under the direction of Robert Ingari.
She is currently the music director of Les Sympholies vocales and, since fall 2025, co‑conductor of the Chœur Métropolitain, the choir of the Orchestre Métropolitain led by Yannick Nézet‑Séguin. A recognized educator, she has been a lecturer in the master’s program in choral conducting at the Université de Sherbrooke since 2012, where she teaches choral vocal technique and diction. Since 2025, she has also collaborated with UQAM within the master’s program in music education.
In 2021, she joined the team of content experts responsible for developing a choral conducting training program for school settings (RCEQ), offered by the Alliance chorale du Québec. Known for her expertise in vocal technique, Julie Dufresne is frequently invited to prepare choirs for major concerts, including the Festival de Lanaudière in 2024 and a performance at the Maison symphonique de Montréal in 2023 with the Orchestre de l’Agora.
She regularly leads vocal technique workshops at major events such as PODIUM, the FAMEQ conference, Kodály Canada, Chorissimo, the Choralies de Gatineau, as well as for the Alliance chorale du Québec and various ensembles across the country.
