Marina Holt was born in Everett, Washington, and grew up in Sammamish, Washington. She began playing the piano at the age of five, and began playing the cello at the age of nine in the Sammamish Plateau Elementary School Orchestra under the tutelage of Mrs. Valerie Harris, who remained her teacher until she graduated high school in 2015.
While in school, Marina served as Mrs. Harris’ teaching assistant with the Sammamish Plateau Elementary Orchestras and the Inglewood Middle School Orchestra, taught private cello and piano lessons, and led the Eastlake High School Orchestra as principal cellist. Marina was a finalist in both the 2013 Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition and the 2014 Sammamish Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition.
She studied cello privately under Dr. Shiang Yin Lee of the University of Washington, Dr. Ruth Boden of Washington State University, and Dr. Beth Cantrell and Mr. Andrew Gabbert at Mary Baldwin University. She has played as a section cellist with the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Sammamish Symphony Orchestra, the Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra and the Nebo Holiday choir & Orchestra.
Marina graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music with an emphasis in instrumental performance from Mary Baldwin University. After graduation, Marina went on to teach orchestra at the American Preparatory Academies in Salt Lake City, Utah.