Finnish cellist Marko Ylönen has performed in as many different roles as almost any other cellist from his generation: soloist, orchestral player and principal, string quartet member, freelance player in duos and trios, and teacher. He has also been a winner and prizewinner in major competitions and a prolific recording artist. Not surprisingly, Ylönen’s repertory is broad, taking in a range of works by C.P.E. Bach, Boccherini, Vivaldi, Haydn, Chopin, Rachmaninov, Sibelius, Piazzolla, and especially contemporary Finnish composers like Einojuhani Rautavaara, Joonas Kokkonen, Pehr Henrik Nordgren, Jouni Kaipainen, Ralf Gothóni, Olli Mustonen, and many others. Ylönen has concertized throughout Europe, the U.S., Japan, China, Australia, and New Zealand. He has recorded for several labels, including Ondine, Finlandia, ALBA and BIS. 

The Bach Suites for solo cello was released in spring 2019 for ALBA.

In 1990 he was awarded 2nd prize at the Turku Scandinavian Cello Competition and later that year he became a finalist and a prizewinner in the international Tchaikowsky Competition in Moscow. 1996 he won the first prize at the Concert Artist Guild Competition in New York.

He plays regularly as soloist with the major Finnish orchestras. He has also played with such leading orchestras as Camerata Salzburg, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Prague Chamber Orchestra, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and the Netherlands Chamber orchestra. Among the conductors he has worked with, are Leif Segerstam, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Juha Kangas, John Storgårds, Sakari Oramo, Okko Kamu, Mosche Atzmon, Alexander Vedernikov, Heinrich Schiff, Ben Wallfish, Susanna Mälkki, Olli Mustonen, Hannu Lintu and Klaus Mäkelä.