Calendar

As a winner of the 2025 Calliope's Call call for scores, Raphael's song cycle Bird Songs on words by Emily Dickinson will receive its USA premiere with Corey Dalton Hart and Christina Wright-Ivanova

Opera Lucca hosts a two-week composition program focused on writing for operatic voices and text setting. The dates are June 7th (check-in) to 22nd (check-out), 2025. Three-week and four-week options may be available by arrangement. Students will compose new vocal works in consultation with composition faculty and bring any vocal works in progress for refinement. Composers will attend individual composition lessons with Professor Fusco; composition seminars; scene and musical rehearsals, vocal coachings, and masterclasses to learn about the voice.

As a winner of the 2025 Calliope's Call call for scores, Raphael's song cycle Bird Songs on words by Emily Dickinson will receive its USA premiere with Corey Dalton Hart and Christina Wright-Ivanova

Join the Cincinnati Song Initiative as it presents the world premieres of twelve newly commissioned songs, created by the talented composers of the 2023-2024 National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Composer Mentorship Program.

As part of this prestigious program, Raphael has been selected to collaborate with renowned composer Scott Wheeler, culminating in the premiere of "Home" for voice and piano. of a unique, original song written just for this occasion. "Home" is the final song in "Love Songs from a Third Floor Walk-Up" which was awarded 1st prize in the 2025 NATS Art Song Composition Award. Celebrate new music, emerging talent, and the power of mentorship in this extraordinary online performance!

This digital concert will be available to stream for free beginning June 22, 2025 at 3:00pm EST.

‍

‍

Raphael will conduct the talented young artists of Opera Lucca in Mozart's masterpiece, Le Nozze di Figaro. Staging by Michael Scarola.

Raphael joins the faculty of the International Choral Composers Institute as Composer-in-Residence. This program will be in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Levine Conference Center from July 14-18, 2025. Classes will be during the day from 9-5 (EDT), and evenings will be reserved for composing, socializing/collaborating with other composers, and dining. A virtual option is also being offered.

​

The free, final concert including select music by participants and our headlining composers-in-residence will take place on Friday, July 18 at 7:00 p.m. (EDT) Transportation to this venue will be provided by ICCI.

‍

Raphael returns to the Classic Lyric Arts Festival for a two-and-a-half-week summer training experience in northern Italy that is dedicated to exploring the precision and artistry of bel canto repertoire.

As 1st place winner of the 2025 NATS Art Song Composition Award, Raphael's newest song cycle "Love Songs from a Third Floor Walk-Up" on texts by Caitlin Vincent will be performed at the 59th NATS national conference.
‍