Born on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rican baritone Carlos Serrano has garnered international acclaim for his performances of opera, oratorio, and zarzuela. Since his triumph as Tonio in I Pagliacci and in the title role in Gianni Schicchi with L'Opera de Montréal, Mr. Serrano has performed extensively with leading opera companies in the United States, Mexico, and Europe. Recent career highlights include appearances in Cavaliera Rusticana and I Pagliacci in Sinaoloa, Mexico, as well as the title role in Falstaff in Brevard, North Carolina, and most recently, the title role in Rigoletto during the summer of 2005 with conductor David Effron and director David Gately. Recent oratorio performances include Carmina Burana in Puerto Rico, and The Messiah in Philadelphia.

Mr. Serrano has achieved a high degree of prominence in Mexico, where he regularly appears in opera, zarzuela, concerts and recitals. He has performed in major opera houses and in every major music festival in Mexico. In recent seasons, he has performed Vidal in the zarzuela Luisa Fernanda in Durango and Guadalajara, and appeared as soloist in zarzuela galas in Aguascalientes and Sinaloa. Additionally, he has appeared as soloist in performances of Carmina Burana and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City and in Carmina Burana in Baja California, and has taken part in opera galas in Ofunam and Aguascalientes. He has sung Tonio in Guanajuato and Monterrey, the title role in Rigoletto at the Festival Cervantino and the Guanajuato Festival, and both Rigoletto and Scarpia at the Festival de Sinaloa. He sang three recitals in Alamos and appeared as Rigoletto in Chihuahua.

Other performances include De Falla's El Retablo del Maese Pedro in Mexico City and Tómas Breton's La Verbena de la Paloma in El Paso, performances of Iago in Otello with Syracuse Opera and the Indianapolis Opera, and Tonio in I Pagliacci with the Utah Festival Opera. Mr. Serrano has sung the title role in Rigoletto in Mexico, and Scarpia in Tosca in Amarillo, Texas. He performed Gianni Schicchi in Fall 1999 for Sylvan Opera in Philadelphia. In April 2000, he sang Luibi in Il Tabarro and Gianni Schicchi for New Jersey's Bohème Opera Company, and in Summer 2000 he appeared at the Brevard Music Festival as Amonasro in Aïda . Carlos Serrano has sung Marcello in La Bohème with New York City Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and Opera de Puerto Rico, Scarpia with the Florida Grand Opera, Iago with the Florentine Opera, Rolando in La Battaglia di Legnano and De Siriex in Fedora with the Opera Orchestra of New York, Escamillo in Carmen with Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and Rigoletto with the Virginia, Omaha, and Glimmerglass Operas. He has appeared as Germont in La Traviata with Greater Buffalo Opera, Opera de Puerto Rico, and in Durango, Mexico; Tonio with the Miami and Tulsa Operas, and in Guadalajara; Ford in Falstaff with the Opera Theater of Saint Louis, Macbeth at the Virginia Opera and Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with L'Opéra de Montréal, New York City Opera, and Mobile Opera. He sang Rigoletto on tour in Spain and Portugal.

Mr. Serrano has also been actively involved in performances of modern works. He performed Tarquinio in Respighi's Lucrezia at the Caramoor Music Festival and Tarquinius in Britten's The Rape of Lucretia at the Corfu Music Festival in Greece. Mr. Serrano has been seen in productions of Thea Musgrave's Mary Queen of Scots at the San Francisco Spring Opera, and recorded the same work with Virginia Opera. Serrano performed the world premiere of Lee Hoiby's The Tempest at Des Moines Metro Opera, and John Harbison's Full Moon in March at San Francisco Opera. Serrano's also recorded El Pessebre, an oratorio composed and conducted by Pablo Casals.

Carlos Serrano has studied at the University of Puerto Rico, Casals Conservatory in Puerto Rico, the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, and at the Curtis Institute of Music. Mr. Serrano lives in Philadelphia, where he is on the faculty at the Academy of Vocal Arts and at Temple University. He maintains a busy schedule of private teaching and is on the voice faculty at North Carolina's Brevard Music Festival during the summer months.