Born in Saronno, Italy, Giulio Mercati began studying music at the age of six under the tutelage of his grandfather, Maestro Lamberto Torrebruno, a representative of an important family of musicians: he then completed his musical studies in organ, composition, and harpsichord under such distinguished musicians as Luigi Toja, Jean Boyer, Olivier Latry, Massimo Berzolla, Bruno Bettinelli, Emilia Fadini and Danilo Costantini.
A musician of great versatility, Giulio Mercati is extremely active as a concert performer in Italy and abroad, primarily as an organ and harpsichord soloist, and as a continuo player in many important ensembles: working with I Barocchisti, under the direction of Diego Fasolis, and the Orchestra of Italian Switzerland (Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana), under conductors such as Alain Lombard, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Alexander Vedernikov, Heinz Holliger, Hubert Soudant, Howard Griffiths, Antonello Manacorda, Giancarlo Andretta, Stefano Montanari, Ottavio Dantone and many others. Mercati’s organ repertoire covers music right from the Renaissance all the way to the virtuoso compositions of the 19th and 20th centuries, in particular the works of César Franck, Max Reger and Julius Reubke. He has recorded for the RTSI (Swiss Italian Radio), Bottega Discantica and Tactus.
He is the director of the vocal group San Bernardo, and is resident organist at the Basilica Prepositurale di San Vincenzo in Prato in Milan, at the Chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angioli in Lugano, and at the Santuario della Beata Vergine dei Miracoli in Saronno. He regularly plays in duo with the famous pianist Vovka Ashkenazy, Vladimir’s eldest son.
From 2001 to 2007 he worked as harpsichord master and preparing master for the theatre works produced by Milan ‘As.Li.Co.' and by ‘Circuito Lirico Lombardo'. In these years he has performed thecontinuo and the recitatives for the prestigious works of some important theatres in Italy and abroad: "La clemenza di Tito" and " L'Italiana in Algeri" directed by Pierluigi Pizzi, "Il barbiere di Siviglia" and "L'elisir d'amore" directed by Filippo Crivelli, "Le nozze di Figaro" directed by Serena Sinigaglia, "Don Giovanni" directed by Michal Znaniecki and "Così fan tutte" directed by Mariano Dammacco.
He also took part in some tours as preparing master, collaborator and choir pianist: "Capuleti e Montecchi" (2001) and "Orlando" (2004) of Ravenna "Alighieri" Theatre, "Un giorno di regno" (2001) of Teatro alla Scala, "Madama Butterfly" (2001), "Les contes d'Hoffmann" (2002) and "Turandot" (2003) of Circuito Lirico Lombardo, "Orfeo ed Euridice" (2003) and "Elisir d'amore" (2004) of Opera Domani project.
As an active composer, especially in the field of organ and choral music, Giulio Mercati has written the music for the theatre production of Shakespeare/Wyspiański: Burza, based on William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and for Stanisław Wyspiański’s Wesele, directed by Arkadiusz Tworus, which was staged in February 2007 at the Teatr Dramatyczny im. Jerzego Szaniawskiego (Poland). One of his latest and most important compositions - for organ - was commissioned in 2010 by the Delegazione Pontificia Lauretana and is based on ancient Marian hymns. In 2013 he was busy with music for the stage, with original compositions, for the play Arianna, Arianna, directed by Mariano Dammacco.
In 1996, Giulio Mercati received an Honours Degree in Philosophy from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milan, for his dissertation on musical aesthetics.
Before devoting himself completely to music he was a Philosophy and History teacher at Liceo "E. Majorana" in Rho and at "G. Torno" I.T.C. in Castano Primo.
He has been a permanent musical critic for "Lombardia oggi", the weekly insert of "La Prealpina", since 1999, publishing more than 1700 articles and from September 2002 he is in the register of freelance journalists.
As musicologist he worked also for the Teatro alla Scala, the Orchestra “Verdi”, the Festival “Milano Musica” and many other important music festivals.
In 1998, the publisher Rugginenti brought out an extended essay, written by Giulio Mercati, entitled “Bruno Bettinelli: il cammino di un musicista”, dedicated to the life and works of Milanese composer Bruno Bettinelli, in light of the most recent hermeneutic philosophical developments.
He is artistic director, and even creator, of numerous prestigious international festivals in Italy, in Switzerland and in Spain.