Dr. Max Moreno

Dr. Max Moreno serves as the Music Department Chair at Iowa Conservatory, bringing 10 years of professional industry experience as an accomplished baritone singer-actor pianist, conductor, and stage director. A highly versatile artist, he specializes in diverse vocal genres including classical opera, musical theater, jazz, pop, contemporary commercial, and barbershop/choral music.
Dr. Moreno’s extensive educational background includes a diploma from Copper Hills High School in his home state of Utah. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Vocal Performance from Utah State University and Portland State University. In 2016, he completed his Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree in Vocal Pedagogy and Performance at the University of Miami’s prestigious Frost School of Music.

Before joining the conservatory faculty in downtown Iowa City, Dr. Moreno accumulated significant teaching and leadership credentials. From 2017 to 2023, he served as Director of Choirs and Co-Director of Musical Theater at DaVinci Academy. He also shared his expertise in higher education as an adjunct voice professor at both Weber State University and Utah State University.

In addition to academic roles, Dr. Moreno is an experienced global artist who has directed and performed internationally. He spent two seasons with the Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre and led master classes and sang in recitals in Guatemala and El Salvador. From 2018 to 2023, he was also a dedicated member of the world-renowned Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, further solidifying his reputation as a master vocal educator and performer. He currently lives in Coralville, Iowa, with his partner Micky and his kitty Rudy.