Birth

:

February 1, 1957 in Antwerpen, Belgium

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Vocal

 

Raphaëlla Smits is a renowned classical guitarist born on August 27, 1959, in Leuven, Belgium. She grew up in a family of musicians, with her father being a pianist and her mother a singer. Smits started playing the guitar at the age of six, and by the time she was ten, she had already performed in public. Smits studied at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven, where she received her diploma in guitar performance with distinction. She then went on to study with Oscar Ghiglia at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, Italy, where she won the first prize in the guitar competition. She also studied with Leo Brouwer in Havana, Cuba, and with Alvaro Pierri in Montevideo, Uruguay. Smits has performed in numerous concerts and festivals around the world, including the Festival Internacional de Guitarra de Taxco in Mexico, the Festival Internacional de Guitarra de Morelia in Mexico, the Festival Internacional de Guitarra de Santo Tirso in Portugal, the Festival Internacional de Guitarra de La Habana in Cuba, and the Festival Internacional de Guitarra de Montevideo in Uruguay. Smits has also performed with various orchestras, including the Brussels Philharmonic, the Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, the Orchestre National de Lille, and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège. She has collaborated with many renowned musicians, including the cellist Roel Dieltiens, the violinist Gidon Kremer, and the pianist Jan Michiels. Smits has recorded numerous albums, including "Guitar Recital" (1985), "Guitar Recital II" (1987), "Guitar Recital III" (1989), "Guitar Recital IV" (1991), "Guitar Recital V" (1993), "Guitar Recital VI" (1995), "Guitar Recital VII" (1997), "Guitar Recital VIII" (1999), "Guitar Recital IX" (2001), "Guitar Recital X" (2003), "Guitar Recital XI" (2005), "Guitar Recital XII" (2007), "Guitar Recital XIII" (2009), "Guitar Recital XIV" (2011), "Guitar Recital XV" (2013), "Guitar Recital XVI" (2015), and "Guitar Recital XVII" (2017). Smits has received numerous awards and honors throughout her career. In 1984, she won the first prize in the International Guitar Competition in Verviers, Belgium. In 1986, she won the first prize in the International Guitar Competition in Paris, France. In 1988, she won the first prize in the International Guitar Competition in Havana, Cuba. In 1992, she was awarded the title of "Cultural Ambassador of Flanders" by the Flemish government. In 2002, she was awarded the "Golden Label" by the Belgian music magazine "Klara". In 2010, she was awarded the "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Belgian music magazine "Crescendo". Smits is also a dedicated teacher and has taught at various institutions, including the Lemmens Institute in Leuven, the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, and the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp. She has also given masterclasses in many countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and Japan. In addition to her musical career, Smits is also a visual artist and has exhibited her paintings and drawings in various galleries in Belgium and the Netherlands.

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