Giulio Zappa was born in Monza.He completed his musical studies under the guidance of M°Oleg Marshev, graduating in Piano with top marks and honors. At the same time, he graduated with top marks and honors in Foreign Languages ​​and Literatures at the State University of Milan with a thesis on Russian opera, under the guidance of Fausto Malcovati and Francesco Degrada. He trained as a repertoire pianist in Milan, in Bianca Maria Casoni's singing class.

He then perfected his skills with Aldo Ciccolini and Irwin Gage, with the latter in the repertoire of chamber vocal music, which has always been his great passion.

Since 1996 he has been performing intensely throughout the world, as well as being frequently invited as a vocal coach – répétiteur, in numerous theatres and festivals around the world including Teatro alla Scala, Wiener Staatsoper, Wigmore Hall, Bolshoy Theatre, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Palau de la Musica Barcelona, ​​Liceu Barcelona, ​​Opernhaus Zürich, Festival Aix en Provence, Glyndebourne Festival, Rossini Opera Festival Pesaro.

He has accompanied hundreds of artists of various generations of Italian and foreign opera, and has had the opportunity to collaborate with directors and orchestra conductors such as A. Zedda, M. Mariotti, C. Rizzi, J. Bignamini, E. Pidò, G. Sagripanti, D. Fo, G. Strehler, L. Ronconi, P. Pizzi, D. Micheletto, G. Vick, H. De Ana, G. Del , etc…

In recent years he has successfully dedicated himself to teaching accompanying pianists and singers, and has been invited to various institutions, including the Bologna Opera School, the Maggio Fiorentino Academy, the Carlo Felice Theater Academy in Genoa, the Verdiana Academy in Parma, the Teatro Real and Escuela Superior de Canto in Madrid, the Opera Studio in Tel Aviv, Jerwood Young Artists Glyndebourne, the Bolshoi Theater Academy in Moscow, ISACT Teatro Colón Buenos Aires, and the Khio Academy Oslo.

From 2012 to 2021 he was artistic director of the Opera Studio in Tenerife, currently he is artistic secretary at the Donizetti Opera Festival in Bergamo and musical coordinator of the Bottega Donizetti. 

Among his upcoming and recent engagements, recitals at Opernhaus Zürich, Pesaro, Tokyo, Kyoto, Sofia, Peralada Festival, Staatsoper Vienna and participation in the recording of the complete opera of Donizetti's chamber romances for Opera Rara.