Biography

Julian “Jules” Rios (b. 2005) is a Panamanian-American composer based in Tennessee. He is currently studying Music Composition at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee. He has previously composed pieces for Stage Plays and Podcasts, and notably composed a choral piece in collaboration with the Sing Me a Story Foundation, which was debuted by the award-winning East Tennessee State University Chorale in 2024. 

In Late 2024, he was the sole recipient of the Teresa Bowers Endowed Scholarship, dedicated to students focusing on vocal arts activities. He created the score for a one-act stage play entitled Homebound, which debuted in Early 2025. 

Julian is a Tenor, and a member of multiple intensive auditioned vocal ensembles, including the award-winning jazz-focused vocal ensemble Greyscale, the internationally-touring and award-winning ETSU Chorale, and the student-led octet Pieces of Eight. Previous and current teachers in composition and the vocal arts include Dr. Yucheng "Alex" Zhang, Dr. Neal Endicott, and award-winning conductor Dr. Alan Stevens.

Jules is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the Composition Department representative in ETSU's Music Student Advisory Council, and a longtime member of the Collegiate Choral Composition Community, where he serves as a member of the advisory board. He also writes articles for the organization's blog, where his pieces are among the most viewed, and has an upcoming presentation in the Summer of 2025 for the organization's Score Share event.