RAFAEL LOPES

Rafael Lopes is a musician and composer born in Porto Alegre, Brazil. In his artistic work, improvisation is an important part of the composition and performance processes, and seeks to explore relationships between music and spaces, such as the city and natural environments. With six albums released, he has performed concerts in Latin American and European countries, and worked in groups such as Camerata Violões de Porto and in collaboration with artists such as Mari Kerber, Mariano Telles and Ana Medeiros.

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He received a nomination for the Açorianos Music Award in the instrumental performer category in 2018 and 2021, in addition to three mentions as one of the highlights in the Brazilian instrumental music scene in 2015, 2017 and 2019, on the website "Melhores da Música Brasileira".

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Rafael is currently a doctoral researcher in musicology at the University of Évora (Portugal), working at CESEM - NOVA FCSH. He investigates Brazilian music from the perspective of the creative process, intertextualities and soundscapes, focusing on the contexts of the 20th and 21st centuries.

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His interests also extend to other areas of art, relating to photography, literature and different expressions of contemporary art, as well as interdisciplinary approaches with a social, historical and anthropological perspectives.

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Rafa began studying guitar and violin at the age of 11, in his hometown. During his teenage, he was a student at the Pablo Komlós Conservatory (Porto Alegre Symphony Orchestra), a period in which he had his first contacts with jazz guitar, improvisation and composition. He graduated in guitar at UFRGS and have a master's degree in music at UFPR, both in Brazil, and also took part in study programs at the University of Aveiro (Portugal) and Berklee College of Music (Italy).