Julia is a founding member of the MN Sinfonia and its predecessor, the Minneapolis Chamber Symphony (MCS).

Soon after emigrating from Russia in 1977, Persitz was contacted by MCS Music Director, Jay Fishman, to join the fledgling orchestra. Within two years, Persitz became the MCS concertmaster, a position she held through the rest of the group’s existence and retains today with the Sinfonia.

Forty years and hundreds of performances later, Persitz is a mainstay in the Twin Cities music community. In addition to her work with the Sinfonia, she has played with many of the region’s major freelance musical groups and maintained a prestigious private-teaching studio.