Paola Marquez is a Latinx Colombian composer, psychologist, and social worker. She earned two Master's Degrees, one in Composition at Syracuse University, where she received the 2008 Heaton Fellowship, and the other in Social Work at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she received the 2014 Eleanor Cranefield Scholarship. She works in three professional fields, combining her understanding of each to enrich her work across all of them; as she writes, “My artistic leanings influence my style as a social worker and psychologist, and my passion for social work and psychology influence my music.” 

Marquez writes, “My mentors, Jorge Pinzon and Dr. Daniel Godfrey, helped me understand how to use my passion for human psychology as inspiration for my work, creating a unique bridge linking art, music, and social issues.” She has written film, orchestral, chamber, choir, and vocal compositions, many of which have been performed in several cities in Colombia, Canada, Australia, and the U.S. Her music has been part of projects such as, the Ruth Ellis Center sponsored by Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, Syracuse Children's Chorus, Detroit Children's Choir, Tree House Ensemble, Society of New Music from 2009-2012, MUSE Cincinnati's Women's Choir, Lima Symphony Orchestra, the University of Michigan en Español concert series, and Boston Unitas Ensemble Orchestra at "Mujeres Concert'' conducted by Lina Gonzalez. In addition, she was commissioned by Juilliard violinist Artur Kaganovkiev; the conductor of the Dearborn Symphony, Kypros Markou; Principal Bass of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Robert Nairn; and French filmmaker Boris Wexler for his movie Our Fathers. 

In recognition of her performance and achievement, Marquez earned the Honorable Mention Citation at the International Music Prize for Excellence in Composition Competition in 2011 in Greece and was selected by New Music of the Americas to be part of their album Estampas Americanas in 2022, feature guest composer at Composers Now founded by Tania Leon. In addition, she had the honor to sit on panels for Chorus America, AIMS Detroit, National Endowment for the Art, National Latino of Latino Arts and Cultures, and the University of Michigan, and she published her research in Music Cognition in SACCOM (2008) and her book Mar Azul. During her career, she worked as an adjunct professor at Syracuse University; a social worker for Say Yes Syracuse, Imagine Syracuse, and Matrix Head Start in Detroit; an education assistant for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra; a Director of Program and Operations at Detroit Children's Choir; and a music assistant for the Musica Mestiza Project lead by composer Gabriela Frank. 

Currently, Marquez works as a composer and executive-life coach, an Assistant Director at Michigan State University Community Music School-Detroit, and the vice-chair for Intempo Music in Connecticut. In each of these roles, she has developed programs to expand music's reach in urban communities and promote music education.