Meet a Colleague: Julie Goudimova Julie Goudimova is a lecturer in the Music Department.

W&L News Office
October 22, 2025

Q. How long have you worked at W&L?
I have been with W&L since 2007, so this is my 18th year.

Q. What is your favorite course to teach, and why? 
Applied cello lessons is pretty much the only course I teach. My favorite part of the class is the last stages of learning the composition, when the students start making music and put their own vision and feelings into it. I love to be there and witness the emergence of an artist.

Q. What do you like the most about working at W&L?
I love how intelligent, bright and enthusiastic Washington and Lee students are. They are “cream of the crop” of the new generation, and I am proud and honored to be a part of their life, to support them in pursuit of creating music, ignite their passion for cello and encourage sharing themselves and their art with others.

Q. Where is your favorite location on the W&L campus?
This is maybe funny, but I love to go to the Marketplace. I don’t go there often, but every time I am there, I discover something new. It is a brilliant idea to introduce university community to different cultures through food. I appreciate the efforts that the Dining Services staff make to present to us cuisines from different countries.

Q. What advice do you have for students?
Enjoy your time at the university and in Lexington. There are a lot of opportunities for enrichment of your daily life here: sports, arts, music, dance, good food, wonderful teachers, the amazing nature of Rockbridge County and warm Southern hospitality of the local people.

Q. Where did you grow up?
I was born in Moscow in a family of an officer of the Soviet Army. When I was young my family lived in the Far East region of Russia — at the Chinese border, then in a little town called Velikie Luki. We then moved to Tiraspol. I studied in the Caucasian region and in Minsk, which is  now the capital of Belarus.

Q. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Just like many children who love and admire their parents, I imagined myself being an engineer like my mother. My mother; however, had a different vision for me — she wanted me to be a musician. In the end she won!

Q. Who inspired you to teach? What about them inspired you?
My mother. With a mathematical mind, she could always explain things to me and others in a clear, logical, step by step sequence. In my teaching, I am aiming to emulate her: make learning to play an instrument easy, organize it in a “step by step” process.

Q. What music are you listening to these days?
My favorite style is soft jazz. I love it’s relaxed and leisure feeling. The U.S. gave the world Jazz, and I am so fortunate to live in this country now, to enjoy hearing this type of music firsthand.

Q. If you could have coffee with one person, who would it be and why?
Leonardo da Vinci. I would love to see and hear this phenomenally talented artist, scientist and musician. I want to be inspired by his curiosity and vision! It would also be wonderful to talk to famous Greek philosophers: Aristotle, Socrates and my favorite, Pythagoras. He was the one who mathematically explained the music scale!

Q. If you could live anywhere, where would you build your dream home?
I love all the places I lived and visited and could live anywhere. After a recent visit to Scotland, I can see myself enjoying living in an old castle on the cliffs on North Sea.

Q. What is your favorite film (movie) of all time?
I love comedies. From American movies my favorites are with Adam Sandler such as “50 first dates” and “Anger management.” My favorite scene is from “Anger Management,” when Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson sing “I feel pretty.”

Q. If they made a movie about your life, who would play you?
I remember in one of the Indiana Jones movies there was a Russian assassin played by Cate Blanchett —  that could be me. I find it funny, that in many Hollywood movies, Russians are portrayed as spies or mafiosi. Well, when I think about it, Americans in Russian movies are often soulless moneybags, so not that attractive of an image either.

Q. What is your desert island food?
If I would be left with one type of food, it would be a pie. I think the diversity of pies is enormous, especially if you take a look at the multiple variations of pies in all the different cultures! Just in Russia, many versions exist such as pirogi, pirozhki, pelmeni, vareniki and chebureki. They could be sweet, salty, sour, spicy and all are so very delicious!

Q. What is your secret talent?
I love to play guitar and sing Russian bard songs, which are usually pretty sad and gloomy. Personally, I prefer happy American country and bluegrass. But sad Russian music deeply touches the soul. It tells you how fragile happiness is and makes you appreciate the good things you have.

Q. Anything else you’d like to share?
Come to my concerts. Music is my passion and I would love to share it with you.