Jesús Morales

Jesús A. Morales Matos, violoncello, currently serves as Principal Cello with the Philadelphia Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, and Adjunct Faculty at Temple University. He previously held the positions of Principal Cellist of the Orquesta Sinfonica de Puerto Rico and Professor of Cello at the Conservatorio de Musica de Puerto Rico and the Children's String Program. As a soloist he has been hailed "in a category above many cellists of today....inspired and captivating," New York Concert Review; and Caribbean Business declares, "he is already talked about as a potential soloist of international stature."

Jesús comes from a prominent musical family which includes José Mariano and Sonia Ivette, composers; Jaime, trombonist and conductor of the Central Ohio Symphony Orchestra; Rolando, percussionist and faculty member at The Curtis Institute of Music; and Ricardo, Principal Clarinetist of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Mr. Morales has been a prize winner of several competitions, including the Camerata Solo Competition for Cello, the Eastern Connecticut Young Artist Competition and the Grace Vamos Cello Competition. He has appeared as 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. During the summers he has participated in 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 the beautiful Casa Rondeña Winery in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Intermezzo Chamber Music Series. Jesús has participated in recitals and chamber music concerts in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, St. Thomas, and Puerto Rico.

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 major teachers include Dr. Ronald Crutcher, Alan Harris, Helga Winold, Yehuda Hanani, and chamber music with Peter Oundjian.

"Morales made his instrument sing as he brought out the impassioned romantic coloration of the music."
"Morales' radiant expressiveness lent itself wonderfully in his heartfelt account, which was eloquent and exquisitely crafted."
- Edward Reichel, Deseret Morning News

"His sound has an assertive, gorgeous quality, from the cello's brusque low notes to its sweet upper range."
- Celia R. Baker, The Salt Lake Tribune

"With a rich, golden cello tone from the lowest register to the top of the A-string, Morales spun out long, soaring phrases with immaculate polish."
- D.S. Crafts, Albuquerque Journal

REPERTOIRE

Johann Sebastian Bach:
Solo Cello Suites
Viola da Gamba Sonatas No. 1 and 2

Ludwig van Beethoven:
Cello and Piano Sonatas
Triple Concerto for cello ,violin, piano, and orchestra

Luigi Boccherini:
Cello Concerto in Bb Major

Johannes Brahms:
Cello and Piano Sonatas No. 1 and 2
Double Concerto for violin, cello, and orchestra

Frank Bridge:
Sonata for cello and piano
Spring Song
Scherzo
Meditation

Max Bruch:
Kol Nidrei for cello and orchestra

Gaspar Cassado:
Suite for cello solo
Requiebros
Danse of the Green Devil

Frederik Chopin:
Sonata in g minor for cello and piano
Nocturne in Eb Major
Nocturne in C# minor
Introduction and polonaise Brillante

Antonin Dvorak:
Concerto in b minor for Cello and Orchestra
Rondo in g minor

Edward Elgar:
Cocerto in e minor for cello and orchestra
Salute d'amore

Manuel de Falla:
Suite Popular Espagnol

Gabriel Faure:
Elegie
Apres un reve
Sicilienne

Cesar Frank:
Sonata for cello and piano in A Major

Alberto Ginastera:
Pampeana No.2

Alexander Glazunov:
Serenade Espagnol

Franz Joseph Haydn:
Concertos No. 1 and 2 for cello and orchestra

Victor Herbert:
Concerto No.1 for cello and orchestra

Edouard Lalo:
Concerto for cello and orchestra in d minor

Felix Mendelssohn:
Sonata No.2 in D Major for cello and piano
Song without words

Niccolo Paganini:
Variations on one string

David Popper:
Hungarian Rhapsody
Tarantella

Sergei Rachmaninoff:
Sonata in g minor for cello and piano
Vocalise

Maurice Ravel:
Habanera

Camille Saint-Saens:
Concerto No.1 in a minor
The Swan

Giovanni Battista Sammartini:
Sonata in G Major for cello and piano

Franz Schubert:
Sonata in a minor for cello and piano (Arpeggione)

Robert Schumann:
Concerto in a minor
Adagio and Allegro
Fantasy Pieces

Dmitri Shostakovich:
Sonata in d minor for cello and piano

Piotr Tchaikovsky:
Variations on a Rococo Theme for cello and orchestra
Pezzo Capriccioso
Chanson Triste
Valse Sentimentale

Antonio Vivaldi:
Sonatas for cello and piano

Visit his website at http://www.jesusmoralescello.com

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