Marcelo Padilla was born in Miami, USA in 1980 and grew up in Costa Rica. He completed his diploma studies with Prof. Milan Turkovic and Prof. Richard Galler at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, graduating with distinction. 

Marcelo has been a member of the ORF Vienna Radio Orchestra since 2002. In the 2023/24 season, he took a sabbatical year to work as principal bassoonist with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

He has performed as a guest musician with renowned orchestras such as the Frankfurt Radio Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, German Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra German Radio Philharmonic Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna State State Opera, Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Volksoper, Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, an Camerata Salzburg.

Marcelo is an internationally sought-after soloist and chamber musician. This coming season, he will appear as a soloist with the Orquesta Sinfonica de la Region de Murcia, perform at the Chamber Music Festival of the South Carolina School of Musi, and has also been invited to perform with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Proms.

In addition to his orchestral activities, Marcelo Padilla is a professor of bassoon at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna “MUK.” Previously, he taught at the Oberschutzen Institute of the University of Music and Performing Arts.

While he has not performing or teaching bassoon, Marcelo has been completing a Master’s degree in Psychology of the Arts at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, focusing on creativity, artistic development, and the psychology of musical performance.