About Jesús A. Morales Matos

Jesús A. Morales Matos was born into a prominent musical family. Currently, Mr. Morales serves as Principal Cello of The Philadelphia Virtuosi, Cellist of The Dali String Quartet, and Cello Professor of the Elite Strings Program.

In 2007, Centaur Records released Mr. Morales' CD of the Saint-Saens and the Lalo Cello Concertos to rave reviews. Mr. Morales performed with the Philharmonia Bulgarica conducted by his brother, Jaime Morales. Steven Ritter of Fanfare Magazine wrote, "not since DuPre's or Starker's performances of the Saint-Saens Concerto have I heard such miraculous playing: clean as a whistle, impassioned, technically adept, and exhibiting extraordinary control." Cecil R. Baker of The Salt Lake Tribune added, "his sound has an assertive, gorgeous quality, from the cello's brusque low notes to its sweet upper range." Mr. Morales awaits the release of his new CD of The Brahm's Cello Sonatas, also on the Centaur label.

Previously Mr. Morales served as Principal Cello of the Orquestra Sinfonica of Puerto Rico, Professor of Cello at The Conservatorio de Musica de Puerto Rico, and the Children's String Program. As an active chamber musician, he was a member of the San Juan Piano Trio and the Chamber Group Concerto.

Mr. Morales won several competitions, including the Camerata Solo Competition for Cello, the Eastern Connecticut Young Artist Competition and the Grace Vamos Cello Competition. He has been a soloist with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, the Orquesta Sinfonica de Puerto Rico, the Camerata Symphony, the National Repertory Orchestra, the Starling Chamber Orchestra, and the Festival de Orquestas Sinfonica Juvenil de las Americas. The New York Concert Review hailed him as a soloist "in a category above many cellists of today...inspired and capivating." The Caribbean Business declared, "he is already talked about as a soloist of potential international stature."

He participated in Summer Festivals including, The Casals Festival in Puerto Rico, Banff Center for the Arts, Grand Teton Music Festival, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, Bowdoin Music Festival, Eastern Music Festival, and Música Rondeña in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Mr. Morales also performed in recitals and chamber music concerts in Mexico, Venezuela, and St. Thomas, VI.

Mr. Morales holds a bachelors degree from The Cleveland Institute of Music and has done postgraduate work at The Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. His cello teachers include: Dr. Ronald Crutcher, Alan Harris, Helga Winold, and Yehuda Hanani. He studied chamber music with Peter Oundjian.

Mr. Morales resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with his wife, violinist Dara Morales, and young daughter, Isabel.