Julen Zelaia Zia was born in 1995 in Iruñea, Pamplona (Navarra), and received his first music lessons at the age of six at the conservatory in Irún. At the age of seven he began violin lessons with Raffaela Acella. He went on to study at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid with Professor Ana Chumachenco, and was also tutored in chamber music by Heime Müller and Günter Pichler. He was awarded the “best student” distinction in the 2010-2011 academic year, and received this award from Queen Sofía in person. Since October 2015 he has been studying at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich with Professor Ana Chumachenco.

The young violinist has already participated in numerous masterclasses, for example with Evgueni Grach, Paul Silverthorne and Keiko Wataya. In summer 2010, he received lessons from Cyrus Forough and Ilya Kaler for six weeks as part of the Bowdoin International Music Festival in Brunswick (USA). In 2011, during the International Summer Academy of the Mozarteum Salzburg, he attended a masterclass with Igor Ozim. In September 2013, he took part in a masterclass with Professor Ana Chumachenco at the International Summer School of the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich in Bad Reichenhall, and performed Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with the Bad Reichenhall Philharmonic Orhestra. Julen Zelaia Zia receives a scholarship from the International Academy of Music in Liechtenstein, and participates in the intensive music weeks offered there.

The young musician has enjoyed great success at numerous competitions. In 2004, at the age of just nine, he won the 1st prize for his age group (up to 12 years) at the "Interpretari Lehiaketa Iraunkorra Gazteen - Permanent Young Performers’ Contest" for young string players in Irún. In 2009, he represented the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country at the "Intercentros Melómano" national interpretation competition in Madrid, where he was awarded the 1st prize and the prize for the best interpretation at the age of just 14. In 2011 and 2012, he participated in the "International Competition for the Nicanor Zabaleta Scholarship", where he won scholarships on both occasions. In 2011, Julen Zelaia Zia appeared as a soloist with the Orquesta Sinfónica Chamartín in Madrid, and with the Euskadiko Gazteen Orkestra in San Sebastián, Zaragoza, Bilbao and Vitoria-Gasteiz. In January 2013, he performed as a soloist in Bilbao, San Sebastián and Vitoria-Gasteiz. As a soloist, he also undertook a concert tour through Spain with the Orquesta Sinfónica Freixenet from Madrid under the baton of Gordan Nikolitch. In 2014, he performed at various international festivals, including the Savonlinna Music Festival in Finland, and performed with renowned musicians such as Ralf Gothóni and Miguel da Silva. He is also the first violinist in the Albeniz Quartet.

Julen Zelaia Zia plays a Jean Baptiste Vuillaume violin, on loan to him from the Maggini Foundation.

January 2017