Julia Doukakis, the youngest of four children, grew up surrounded by music on the New South Wales Central Coast. After taking up the violin aged six, she was drawn to the mellow tone of the viola and made the transition when she was 13. She graduated with honours from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2015, where she studied with Sydney Symphony Orchestra Principal Viola Roger Benedict.

Since graduating, Julia has worked professionally with several Australian orchestras, including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. In 2016, Julia was a Fellow with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and worked with the orchestra full time, including performances under world-renowned conductors such as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Lothar Koenigs, John Wilson, Oleg Caetani and David Robertson.

In 2017, Julia moved to London to take up a position with the Southbank Sinfonia. This provided an opportunity to work with members of the Royal Opera House Orchestra and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, performing in premier London venues including the Royal Festival Hall, the Barbican, St Martin in the Fields and Cadogan Hall. Julia has also undertaken work with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, performing concerts in Birmingham and Oxford. 

In 2018, Julia will continue her viola studies in London at the Royal Academy of Music with Juan Miguel Hernandez, as well as continuing her orchestral work.