Raphaël Feuillâtre

Hailed as the new face of classical guitar worldwide, Raphaël Feuillâtre fascinates audiences and critics alike with the depth of his interpretations, his dazzling virtuosity, and the richness of his repertoire.

Winner of the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America competition in 2018 (USA) and ADAMI’s “Classical Revelation 2021”, Raphaël was chosen as an exclusive artist by the label Deutsche Grammophon in 2022. He is, to date, one of the very few guitarists to have signed with this legendary label. This fruitful collaboration gave birth to his debut album “Visages Baroques” in 2023, which displays different facets of the Baroque aesthetic. His second album, Spanish Serenades, features masterpieces from the Spanish repertoire, including works by Albéniz, Granados, Llobet, Rodrigo, and Tárrega. It includes one of Granados’s Danzas españolas with violinist María
Dueñas, as well as the legendary Concierto de Aranjuez by Rodrigo, recorded with the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra conducted by Gábor Takács-Nagy.

Following his acclaimed debut at New York’s Carnegie Hall in 2023, he has performed in some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls and festivals – including Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, the “Folle Journée” in Nantes, the Edinburgh International Festival and the Beethoven Haus in Bonn – as well as at major guitar events such as the Festival International de Guitare de Paris, the Festival Guitarras del Mundo in Argentina, the Changsha International Guitar Festival in China.

His passion for chamber music and his desire to champion his instrument in this repertoire has led him to collaborate with musicians of the highest calibre: recorder player Lucie Horsch, trumpet player Lucienne Renaudin Vary and violinist Maria Dueñas in venues such as Deutsche Grammophon’s Yellow Lounge, the Dresden Music Festival, Schleswig Holstein Festival, Cité de la Musique de Paris, and the Società del Quartotto Di Milano – Scala G. Verdi.

Born in Djibouti in 1996, Raphaël was introduced to the guitar by his first teacher, Hacène Addadi, before joining Michel Grizard’s class at the Conservatoire de Nantes in 2012. Three years later, he entered the Conservatoire National de Musique et de Danse de Paris in the classes of Roland Dyens and Tristan Manoukian.

In addition to winning first prize at the GFA, Raphaël has forged a strong reputation in the classical guitar world by winning the following competitions: Jose Tomas International Guitar Competition in Villa Petrer (Spain – 2017), Kutna Hora International Guitar Festival (Czech Republic – 2017), Viseu International Spring Music Festival (Portugal – 2016), Fontenay-sous-Bois Guitar Competition & Festival (France – 2015), and Ciudad de Coria International Guitar Festival (Spain – 2014).

An ambassador for the guitar and keen to contribute to the development of its repertoire, Raphaël has arranged numerous works from the repertoire of instruments he loves – with a particular predilection for keyboard instruments such as the piano and harpsichord – a taste particularly reflected in his choice of programmes for his recordings.

Driven by a desire to pass on his passion for music and the guitar, Raphaël teaches at the Pôle Supérieur – Bretagne and is co-founder of the Lille Guitar Academy, a summer academy for guitarists. Students from all over the world receive his guidance at masterclasses given at the San Francisco Conservatory, the Manhattan School in New York and the Haute École de Musique in Geneva. He is also involved in projects to raise awareness of the arts, particularly following a tour in the USA during which he took part in several activities in schools and prisons.

Raphaël Feuillâtre is supported by Savarez, a historic string-manufacturing company founded in 1770, and plays a guitar by Australian luthier Greg Smallman.