Marcel Farago, a native of Romania, is the second of three sons in a family of musicians. At an early age he studied the violin with his father, the piano with his mother and later adding cello and composition. He was the only student who graduated in both violin and cello on the same day. As a child prodigy he gave many recitals as a violinist, as a cellist and piano accompanist. His first composition, a string quartet, which he wrote at the age of 16 had many performances in Romania.

After the war, he studied for one year with Dinicu and Enescu in Bucharest before leaving the country for Hungary where he became a cellist in the Budapest Municipal Orchestra. In 1948 he left Hungary to continue his cello studies with Gaspar Cassado and composition studies with Frazzi and Lavagnino in Siena, Italy. He also studied cello in Paris, France with P. Fournier, P. Bazelaire and P. Tortelier as well as composition with D. Milhaud.

He was invited to become cellist in the Capetown Municipal Orchestra in South Africa in 1952. Two years later, in 1954, he was invited to become principal cellist of the Porto Alegre Orchestra in Brazil. The following year, 1955, he joined the Philadelphia Orchestra cello section.

His compositions have been performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra as well as other orchestras, chamber groups, and soloists in many parts of the world. His composition “In Memoriam” op59 was written at the loss of his wife Ady. The Philadelphia Orchestra premiered it in November 1989 under the baton of Riccardo Muti. In 1997, four of his compositions were recorded for publication on Compact Disc (CD). The CD has now been released by Centaur Records (CRC 2394).

He is represented by International Artists Alliance and is a member of A.S.C.A.P.

Mr. Farago now resides in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA.