About

  Rafael is an active composer and guitarist from São Paulo, Brazil; received commissions from institutions like São Paulo Symphony Orchestra (OSESP), Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Singapore Wind Symphony Orchestra Orquestra São Pedro, Orquestra Experimental de Repertoire (OER), Baccarelli Institute Percussion Group, and founder of the paulista group Peixe Seco, a quartet consisting of Brazilian folkloric instruments Rabeca, Pífano, Viola Caipira and Sanfona to perform new music.

  His work and research interests are related to Afro-Latin musical language focusing on rhythm, phrasing and articulation. Rafael has experience performing, recording and touring around Brazil playing the traditional styles such as Forró, Baião, Choro, Samba, Xaxado and Frevo.

  As a composer, Rafael received fellows and awards from Funarte (Brazil Contemporary Music Bienal), SBME 2012 (Electroacoustic music Brazilian Society), Witener Tage für Neue Kammermusik“ and “Acht Brücken – Musik für Köln“ – New Music in NRW, and “Forum Nueva Musica” de Córdoba from Goethe Institute, and was also composer in residency for the Mise-en ensemble (NY) at the I-Park institution in 2015, and Sound Icon Composition Competition (Boston).

  As music director and arranger he has sold more than 200.000 copies with his collaboration with the singer Fabio de Melo and in the music industry was the co-founder and Artistic Director of TotemLiveX, a company specialized in creative live multimedia performances for the corporative clients.

  His Audiovisual work “Sozinhos entre Fatias”, in collaboration with the artist Cynthia Domenico and André Uba, has been presented in festivals like Lakino: Cinema Babylon in Berlin, In shadow 3: Festival Internacional de Video, Performance e Tecnologias in Lisbon, Plataforma Festival and UferStudios in Berlin, Festival Internacional de Videdanza Agite y Sirva no Mexico.

  Rafael lives in Hawaii where he is a lecturer for Music Theory, Music Production, and Aural Skills at the Music Department of the University of Hawaii.