Julia Thornton is a British harpist from Ipswich, England. She began playing the piano at age 9 and started her harp lessons two years later on an Irish instrument called the clarsach. Thornton's early training included studies with Daphne Boden and membership in the National Youth Orchestra. In 1990, she won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music, where she earned multiple awards for her harp playing. Her breakthrough came in 1999 when she was spotted by the wife of producer Rhett Davies during a yoga demo, after which she collaborated with Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music. Thornton released her debut album, Harpistry, in 2003 on EMI, which charted at number 13 on the Billboard Classical chart. Her second album, Eye of the Storm, was released in 2004 under Crossways Records. She has also been a member of The Metaphors and performed with various orchestras and opera companies.
