Artist Biography
Rafael Figueroa, Cello
Solo cellist with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Rafael Figueroa has appeared as soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Europe, South and Central America and Japan. He is a winner of many distinguished competitions and awards including the First Prize at the Gregor Piatiogorsky Invitational Competition, the Bronze Medal at the Pablo Casals International Competition in Budapest, the Jill Sackler Concerto Competition, and winner of the Gina Bachauer Memorial Award.
Rafael is a frequent soloist with the Casals Festival in Puerto Rico as well as the Casals Hall Festival in Tokyo, Lemi Music Festival in Finland, Aspen Music Festival and the Marlboro, Rockport and Marblehead Music Festivals. He has performed and toured worldwide with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, recording for the Deutshe Grammophon seal. He has been a member of the New Jersey Chamber Music Society, is a frequent guest of the distinguished Bargemusic concerts and for five years served as cellist of the Amadeus piano trio. Rafael has appeared in recitals at the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, Merkin Hall, Jordan Hall and nationwide on National Public Radio. He completed his studies under Janos Starker and Gary Hoffman at Indiana University, where upon graduation he became a member of the cello faculty. He plays on a cello made by Roger/ max Millant in Paris 1937.