Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Marlon F. Dovales began his musical training at the age of three in the renowned Children’s Orchestras System of Venezuela, known worldwide as El Sistema.

A graduate of the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University where he studied cello performance and musicology, Marlon was a pupil of the internationally acclaimed cellist and pedagogue, Amit Peled. Besides researching and lecturing, his Musicology background further comprises extensive experience in Baroque Cello and Viola Da Gamba performance, having studied under baroque cellist and musicologist, John Moran.

Marlon has participated in masterclasses with some of the world’s leading cellists, including Alisa Weilerstein, Kangho Lee, Pablo Ferrández, Richard Aaron, Mark Kosower, and Zlatomir Fung. After winning first prize at the National Cello Competition in Venezuela, Marlon and his family relocated to Dallas, Texas. There, he excelled in local competitions and was named to the All-State Orchestra multiple

times by the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA). In summer 2021, he won the solo competition at the Texas Cello School, earning the opportunity to perform as soloist with the ensemble alongside distinguished cellists such as Alan Steele, John-Henry Crawford, and Jonah Kim.

Growing up in Venezuela, Marlon rose quickly through the ranks of El Sistema. By age 12, he had joined the Youth Orchestra of Caracas as a full-time cello section member, touring twelve countries over a two year period. Previously, he was appointed principal cello for the National Children’s Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. With this orchestra, he performed under legendary conductors including Sir

Simon Rattle at the ‘Salzburg Festival’ in Austria and Gustavo Dudamel at ‘La Scala’ in Milan, Italy. He later appeared as soloist with major Venezuelan ensembles, including the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra and the Youth Orchestra of Caracas, again under Dudamel’s baton. In the United States, Marlon has performed as soloist with several Texas orchestras, among them the Garland Symphony,

Arlington Symphony, and Las Colinas Symphony. He is an alumnus of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra and has been a frequent participant in the Basically Beethoven Festival in Dallas, where he has contributed to recordings and appeared in interviews for local media, including McKinney Radio and NBC News 5.

A passionate teacher, Marlon has held a private teaching cello studio in Baltimore, Maryland, where he has been mentoring students of all ages and levels in cello performance and music theory for a number of years. Prior to this, he was a Teaching Artist for the Kim Noltemy Young Musician’s Program at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. His teaching philosophy centers on equipping students with the essential tools needed to develop a deep understanding and appreciation of music, while learning how to

communicate this experience effectively via stage performance. Through this approach, he incrementally

guides students according to their goals towards complete technical proficiency, while fostering a genuine enjoyment for performance and the craft itself. His ultimate goal is to empower students to confidently apply these principles to any professional challenge they encounter throughout their lives.

Marlon’s favorite musical setting is a Cello ensemble. He has been a core member of Texas Cellos, the Mount Vernon Virtuosi Cello Ensemble, and the Kindler Cello Society in Washington, D.C.