Biography

Emerging Mexican-American composer Alex Moreno (b. 2001) draws inspiration from the great composers of the late Romantic period and the early Twentieth Century. His music is very lyrical and deeply emotional, often characterized as "hauntingly beautiful". Moreno is a highly collaborative composer whose commissions include works for Rice Dance Theatre (3 Miniatures for Dance), The Moody Center for the Arts (Concertino para Viola), and The Citadelle Art Museum (Art Deco Suite). Most recently, Rice University commissioned a brass fanfare (New Dawn) for the inauguration of its 8th president, Dr. Reginald DesRoches. He is the recipient of the 2018 Carson Thomas Miller Texas Emerging Composer's Award for his piece for xylophone, Dance of the Night.

Moreno is committed to bringing classical music to rural areas. He helped facilitate the collaboration between the Citadelle Art Museum in Canadian, Texas (his hometown) and Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, “Full Circle – A Musical Museum Experience”, in which six Rice Composers received commissions to compose new works inspired by art in the Citadelle’s permanent collection. These works were premiered in May 2022 with community engagement events and performances for students in the Canadian public schools and the community.

Moreno is a strong advocate for music education. His formal music training began at the age of 12 as a percussionist, under the tutelage of Mr. Dean Webber, and has received many accolades including the Texas State Solo and Ensemble Competition Outstanding Performer Award. Moreno’s musical ambitions lead him to teach himself piano, and later music composition. His dedication to music and education has inspired him to work with young musicians. He regularly works and volunteers for music programs in the Texas Panhandle, including the Canadian High School music programs assisting and teaching developing musicians. He currently serves as the Music Director and pianist for his small Baptist church in Canadian. He is an active performer, regularly performing in concerts, recitals, and community events.

Moreno recently graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Composition from the renowned Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in Houston, Texas. He studied with Dr. Arthur Gottschalk, Dr. Richard Lavenda, and Dr. Anthony Brandt. He is an alumnus of the 2019 AFA Summer Music Festival (Houston, Texas) where he studied composition in the Composition Intensive, and an alumnus of the 2022 soundSCAPE Composition and Performance Exchange (Bobbio, Italy).