After the riotous critical success of her role debut as Lulu, the “grandiose soprano" (FAZ) was nominated for the prestigious German Theater Prize Der Faust and featured on the cover of the May 2023 edition of Opernwelt Magazine. She was also Opus Klassik's Singer of the Year for her interpretation of Bubikopf in her recording of Der Kaiser von Atlantis.

On the opera stage this season, she sings Najade (Ariadne auf Naxos) for Opernhaus Zurich directed by Andreas Homoki, makes her role debut as Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos) on tour with the Nederlandse Reisopera, and Shoko in a new production of Thomas Larcher’s Das Jagdgewehr at the Bayerische Staatsoper (Cuvilliés Theater) directed by Ulrike Schwab. She also returns to Staatstheater Darmstadt to sing Adina (L’elisir d’amore). In concert, she performs a world premiere with the Copenhagen Philharmonic by Matias Vestergard titled Melodrama; a musical collaboration between director Christian Lollike and the internationally renowned German video scenographer Astrid Steiner, conducted by the orchestra's music director Christoph Gedschold, and gives a recital with pianist Marlene Heiss at the Berlin Philharmonie.

Her recent role debuts have included Olympia in Les contes d'Hoffmann and Morgana in Alcina for Staatstheater Darmstadt where she was a member of the ensemble (2021-2024). Other recent operatic highlights include her role debut as Najade in Robert Carsen’s production of Ariadne auf Naxos for the opening of the Hong Kong Arts Festival with the Bayerische Staatsoper, her role and house debut at Nationaltheater Mannheim with Belinda in Dido and Aeneas, and the Cheshire Cat in a concert version of Unsuk Chin's Alice in Wonderland at Concertgebouw Amsterdam under the baton of Markus Stenz as part of the prestigious Saturday Matinee series. Last season, she made her North American debut at Carnegie Hall (Zankel) singing Unsuk Chin's Puzzles and Games for soprano and orchestra with the Sejong Soloists under Earl Lee.

An enthusiastic interpreter of 20th/21st century repertoire, other recent contemporary highlights have included her role debut as Tinkerbell in a world-premiere of Peter Pan by Frank Schwemmer with the Luxembourg Philharmonic, György Ligeti’s Mysteries of the Macabre and Nouvelles Aventures with Patrick Hahn conducting the Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra, the world premiere of Transstimme, a full-length opera for only one singer and one actor by Fabia Santcovsky at the invitation of the Munich Biennale, as well as the world premiere of Singularity by Miroslav Srnka at the Cuvilliés-Theater/Bayerische Staatsoper with the Klangforum Wien. She also covered the title role in the world premiere of Girl with the Pearl Earring at Opernhaus Zurich.

In spring 2023, the Opercussion ensemble of the Bayerische Staatsorchester released their award-nominated debut album Original Grooves on which Juliana sang their ultimate track “Gracias a la vida." The recording of Der Kaiser von Atlantis (BR Klassik) was nominated by Opus Klassik for Best Opera Recording, featuring Juliana Zara and conductor Patrick Hahn leading the Munich Radio Orchestra.

From 2019-2021, Juliana was a member of the Opernstudio at the Bayerische Staatsoper and sang roles such as Frasquita (Carmen), Philine (Mignon), and Mercedes (Schön ist die Welt), as well as Luciano Berio's Sequenza III. Her repertoire also includes Ophelia (Hamlet), Blonde (Entführung aus dem Serail), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Norina (Don Pasquale), Isotta (Die Schweigsame Frau), Fiakermilli (Arabella), Philippe (Der Teufel von Loudun), Adele (Die Fledermaus), Griet (Girl with a Pearl Earring), Cunegonde (Candide), and Chief of Gepopo (Le Grand Macabre).

Juliana Zara is a graduate of Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" in Berlin.