Biographical Info

Jesús A. Morales Matos was born into a prominent musical family. Currently, Mr. Morales serves as Cellist of the Morales-Burgman Duo, The Dali String Quartet, Cello Professor of the Elite Strings Program (Lansdale, PA), member of the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, Co-Principal Cellist of the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, and performs regularly with the Baltimore Symphony.

In 2007, Centaur Records released Mr. Morales’ CD of the Saint-Saens and the Lalo Cello Concertos to rave reviews, which he recorded with the Philharmonia Bulgarica conducted by his brother, Jaime Morales. Mr. Morales awaits the release of his new CD of the Brahms 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 has 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.

He has 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 bachelor’s degree from The Cleveland Institute of Music and has done postgraduate work at The Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. His cello teachers have included Dr. Ronald Crutcher, Alan Harris, Helga Winold, and Yehuda Hanani. He studied chamber music with Peter Oundjian.

Mr. Morales resides in Philadelphia with his wife, violinist Dara Morales, and young daughters Isabel and Karina.