Ms. Julia Hall - Chair of the Vocal Department
A native Houstonian and HSPVA graduate, Ms. Hall earned her Bachelor of Music Education from the University of St. Thomas, where she studied voice with Diane Tobola, and her Master of Music in choral conducting from the University of Houston. She has had the privilege of conducting two performing choirs at the Texas Music Educators Convention: the Memorial Middle School Advanced Girls Choir in 2011, and the HSPVA Girls Chorus in 2017. Girls Chorus is the only non-varsity high school women’s choir ever selected to perform at TMEA.
Ms. Hall is an active clinician, guest conductor, and soprano soloist. She is a member of Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association, Texas Choral Directors Association, American Choral Directors Association, Phi Kappa Phi academic and Pi Kappa Lambda music honor societies, and the Houston Symphony Chorus Chamber Singers.
Dr. Yanira Soria
Spanish pianist Dr. Yanira Soria has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, China, Spain, Mexico, Czech Republic, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Honduras. Dr. Soria is a HSPVA graduate, and holds degrees from Sam Houston State University and University of Houston, where she completed her Doctorate of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in Collaborative Piano and Chamber Music, studying under Mr. Timothy Hester.
Dr. Soria has appeared as guest soloist with the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra, and the Sam Houston State University's Symphony Orchestra. Her awards include 1st place winner and People's Choice Award of the Crescendo Music Awards, 1st place winner of the TMTA Young Artist Division in 2008, and 2nd place winner of the TMTA Young Artist Division in 2009, among others. Dr. Soria has participated in many festivals including the Prague International Piano Masterclasses, and the University of Houston’s International Piano Festival.
In 2012, she was invited to represent Spain at the IV Encuentro Internacional de Música in Medellín, Colombia, and in May of the same year, she travelled to Honduras to participate as faculty in the Encuentro Anual de Cuerdas, a summer festival for students and players from the most respected musical institutes and orchestras in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Dr. Soria was the accompanist/vocal coach at Sterling High School in Baytown, TX and at Klein United Methodist Church from 2011-2015. During this time, she coached individual solos, assisted with choir sectionals, and was the performance pianist for all concerts and services. She was also Music Director for Lone Star College’s Young Artist Summer Program from 2010-2013, and was Music Director for Lone Star Lyric’s performance of Wolf-Ferrari’s Il Segreto di Susanna in 2015.
Dr. Soria is a proud founding member of the Houston-based Terra Nostra Ensemble, an innovative ensemble dedicated to the performance, promotion, and preservation of music by Latin-American and Iberian composers. Currently, Dr. Soria is on staff the American Festival for the Arts.
Prior to joining HSPVA, Dr. Soria was the Co-Director of Piano Studies at Meyerland PVA MS from 2017-2019. Her professional affiliations include the Music Teachers National Association, the Texas Music Teachers Association, and the Texas Music Educators Association.
Mr. Marcus Jauregui
Marcus J. Jauregui joins the vocal faculty of Kinder HSPVA after serving five years as Director of Choirs at Pershing Middle School in Houston ISD. Under his direction, the Treble Chorale received an invitation to perform for the Texas Music Educators Association Convention in 2021. This was the first choir to receive a TMEA invitation since Pershing’s opening in 1928, and the first middle school choir in Houston ISD to receive this invitation since 1983. Before moving to Houston, Mr. Jauregui taught one year of elementary school, four years of middle school, and two years of high school in North Texas. Mr. Jauregui holds a Bachelor of Music in music education from Centenary College of Louisiana and a Master of Arts in music education from Texas Woman’s University where his thesis focused on the mentoring practices of Texas choral directors.
As a member of the Centenary College Choir and Centenary Camerata, Mr. Jauregui performed at Carnegie Hall as well as the White House for President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush. He also toured internationally, performing in cathedrals and performance venues in Australia, England, France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Switzerland, and Wales. Two favorite solo opportunities were on the steps of the Grand Staircase of the White House as well as the stage of the Sydney Opera House. Mr. Jauregui has also performed in and music directed numerous musicals. Highlights include: Hairspray, Cinderella, tick, tick… BOOM!, Grease, The Music Man, Xanadu, Curtains, and Urinetown. As both a choral and musical theatre vocal technician, Mr. Jauregui is excited to work with students on building healthy singing technique for a variety of musical genres.
Mr. Jauregui is thrilled to join the vocal faculty at PVA, and it is his prayer each and every day to use music as the vehicle to inspire young people to change the world.