JULIO VILLEDA (b. 2003) is a DFW-based music educator and composer. His musical journey began through singing and playing in church, later expanding through his involvement in choral ensembles, where early mentors inspired him to pursue a career in education.

Mr. Villeda earned his Bachelor of Music in Education from East Texas A&M University in 2025, graduating summa cum laude with highest honors. At East Texas A&M, he studied voice with Dr. Matthew Schloneger, composition with Dr. Judy Bozone, conducting with Dr. Randall Hooper, and completed his student teacher residency in Garland ISD. He is currently certified to teach EC-12 Music in Texas.

Mr. Villeda is dedicated to building supportive, student-centered music classrooms while continuing his work as a composer.

“The point was that the world of music—its language, beauty, and mystery—was already urging itself on me. Some shift had already begun. Music was no longer a metaphor for the real world somewhere out there. It was becoming the opposite. The “out there” stuff was the metaphor and the real part was, and is to this day, the music.”

– Philip Glass