Juliana Tassos

About Juliana

Juliana Tassos is a professional actor, singer, and educator whose work bridges performance and pedagogy with equal passion and rigor. She holds a BFA in Acting from the University of Michigan, where she also minored in English Literature and Creative Writing. During her time there, Tassos performed in numerous stage productions while simultaneously launching her career as an acting teacher, director, and stage combat choreographer. Her cross-training in the university’s musical theatre department deepened her artistic range and ultimately inspired her to pursue graduate study in the field.

Tassos earned her Master of Music in Vocal Performance (Musical Theatre) from NYU Steinhardt. While at NYU, she worked alongside renowned industry leaders including Alan Menken, Ted Sperling, James Lapine, Elena Shaddow, and Lee Summers. Her collaboration with Menken and Sperling led to professional concert opportunities, launching a career as a concert singer performing and recording across New York City venues.

At NYU, she served alongside Lee Summers in teaching graduate acting students, further refining her voice as an educator. Her professional performance background informs her teaching and directing, allowing her to offer students both technical precision and real-world insight.

Her academic work has been recognized for its depth in acting pedagogy and theatrical analysis, reflecting her commitment to rigorous scholarship and innovative training methods. Tassos is particularly passionate about cultivating artists—not just performers—guiding students to discover their individuality, intellectual engagement, and creative courage.

A proud alumna of the Interlochen Arts Camp, Interlochen Arts Academy, and the Interlochen Shakespeare Festival, Tassos credits her formative years at Interlochen with shaping both her artistry and her calling to teach. Returning as a faculty member is a full-circle honor, and she brings to her students the same dedication, discipline, and artistic fire that first inspired her there.

My teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that we must set aside our egos and adapt our approach to meet the individual needs of each student. Teaching is not about demonstrating a “correct” way to do something, but about using my knowledge and experience to guide students toward discovering how to become artists in their own right. Because talent is subjective and opportunity is neutral, it is my responsibility to create an environment where every student has a genuine chance to grow, explore, and succeed.