BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competitor

Octavio Moreno studied at the Universidad de Sonora and the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia and is a Houston Grand Opera Studio artist. Principal teachers are Jesus Li, Marybel Ferrales, Bill Schuman and Stephen King.

In 2002, he won the Grand Prize in the Mariana de Gonitch Competition in Havana, Cuba, and the Young Artist Prize in the Carlo Morelli National Voice Competition in Mexico City. In 2004 Octavio won first prize in the VIII Premio Ciudad Trujillo Competition in Peru, and competed in Operalia. He won third place in HGO's Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers in 2008.

Octavio has performed Marquis d'Obigny (La traviata), Yamadori (Madama Butterfly), Count Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Vidal in Torroba's Luisa Fernanda, Belcore (L'elisir d'amore) and Germont (La traviata) in Hermosillo. For the Academy of Vocal Arts he played the title roles in Don Giovanni and Rigoletto, Guglielmo (Le villi), Figaro (Il barbiere di Siviglia), De Bretigny (Manon) and Renato (Un ballo in maschera).

This season with Houston Grand Opera he covered Silvio Pagliacci and sang Marullo (Rigoletto) and baritone soloist in Chorus! Next season in HGO he will sing Belcore (L'elisir d'amore) and Second Nobleman (Lohengin).

Octavio enjoys playing the guitar, video games and reading about history.

BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2009: concert two repertoire

• Ya vas lyublyu (The Queen of Spades) - Tchaikovsky
• Gioco di rea fortuna! - O Lisbona, alfin ti miro! (Don Sebastiano) - Donizetti
• O sainte médaille ... Avant de quitter ces lieux (Faust) - Gounod