Hailing from Los Angeles, Marlon Martinez is a young virtuoso bassist and composer emerging at the center of the resurgent Los Angeles jazz scene. He has demonstrated his virtuosity while touring with a wide range of artists, from rock icon Stewart Copeland to classical trailblazers Quatuor Ebène. Marlon is the protégé of mentor Stanley Clarke and studied with legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter in New York City. He is the music director and composer of his big band, Marlonius Jazz Orchestra. Marlon is a winner of Colburn School’s 2020 New Venture Competition and was selected as an artist-in-residence for the inaugural Amplify Series at Colburn School in 2022.

Dedicated to music education and outreach, Marlon created Ever Up And Onward: A Tribute To Billy Strayhorn in 2022, an eight episode video series presented by Colburn School that explores the life, legacy and music of Billy Strayhorn. As a Colburn Amplify Series artist, Marlon recorded an album, reviving known and lesser known compositions by Billy Strayhorn with Marlonius Jazz Orchestra. The album, Marlonius | Strayhorn, will be released in 2023 and their single “All Day Long” will be released in December 2022.