From childhood, Alex Moreno discovered that he had a passion for communicating through music.
Growing up in Venezuela, he remembers his mother often playing traditional Venezuelan music around the house. Over the years, Moreno immersed himself in music, joining the university choir and developing various skills playing various instruments, including the Venezuelan Cuatro, piano and guitar.
“But later, I discovered the magic the human voice can do by listening to Placido Domingo’s voice,” Moreno said. UPDATED in an interview. “At that moment, I knew I wanted to explore that world.”
The Spanish-born opera singer and conductor became one of Moreno’s greatest musical influences, along with the great Venezuelan composer and singer Simon Diaz and the prominent American musician Frank Sinatra.
Throughout his time in Venezuela, Moreno honed his general musical skills, dabbling in operatic singing, acting, and theater directing. He even started his own band, “3 y Cuatro,” whose first album, “Que si,” was nominated for a 2018 Latin Grammy.
Moreno describes his musical style as “eclectic but classic”.
As a fan of everything from Latin American rhythms to American musical standards, and everything in between, Moreno tries to combine the two worlds together.
His plays are often bilingual.
“Some songs are in English, some in Spanish [and] some songs, I mix the two languages,” said Moreno.
“Good music comes from everywhere, in every language and from many influences,” he added.
On Saturday, September 17, Moreno will be performing at Uptown! Knauer Center for the Performing Arts for a concert titled, “Latin Romance in Concert.”
He describes his upcoming concert as a cross between romantic Latin American music and world music.
“This will be a celebration of the integration of cultures,” Moreno said of the upcoming concert. “Hispanics, Americans and people of every nationality are welcome to hear this music that can make us travel across the continent.”
For Moreno, the two most important elements of creating a concert are discovering the concept and connecting it to the inspiration behind it.
The upcoming concert marks a return for Moreno in collaboration with Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center.
In December 2020, he performed a virtual concert that also served as a fundraising gala to benefit the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.
“Even though it was on air, it brought the house down! We are thrilled that audiences will be able to experience this full concert live on our main stage,” said April Evans, Uptown’s executive director, in a press release.
When asked what he’s looking forward to the most, Moreno says it’s how the performances will make people feel.
“To see how happy everyone gets when they hear the music that me and my band make for them, and especially celebrating Hispanic heritage in a place like Uptown! Knauer Center,” he said.
The concert will be held on Saturday, September 17th at 7:30pm at the A. Roy Smith Mainstage in Uptown located at 226 N. High Street in West Chester, Pa.
Tickets for Moreno’s “Latin Romance in Concert” are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.
More information can be found on Moreno’s official website. He can also be found on social media, including Facebook and Instagram.
