The Luminosa String Orchestra
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Introducing our guest director Patrick Rafter
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Patrick Rafter is recognised and celebrated as one of Ireland’s foremost classical musicians, acclaimed for his mastery of the violin and extraordinary musicianship. Rafter has taken to the stage as a soloist, director, conductor, and recitalist across Europe, the Middle East, South America, and Asia. Garnering over a hundred prestigious awards, including the National Concert Hall Young Musician of the Year (Ireland), Clandeboye Festival Young Musician of the Year (UK), Valiant Violin Competition (Switzerland), firmly establishing himself as one of Ireland’s leading classical musicians.
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A protege of the legendary violinist, Maxim Vengerov, Patrick was born into a musical family in Kilkenny, Ireland. His father, Paddy, is a tenor and his mother, Maura, is a pianist. His rise as a prodigious talent was swiftly acknowledged, earning him a prestigious full scholarship to the Royal Irish Academy of Music, where he studied under Eyal Kless and Fionnuala Hunt. Patrick continued his studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, graduating summa cum laude and amassing multiple awards. He was a student of Mateja Marinkovic. Following a performance for Maxim Vengerov, Patrick was personally invited by Vengerov to study at the International Menuhin Music Academy in Switzerland until he graduated in 2019.
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As a violinist, Patrick has performed as a soloist with many of the world’s notable orchestras and ensembles including Prague Philharmonia, Mannheim Soloists, National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, RTE Concert Orchestra, Kyiv Soloists, and Camerata Ireland. He has performed in some of the most prestigious concert halls such as the National Concert Hall Ireland, Royal Albert Hall London, Berlin Konzerthaus, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, and Seoul Arts Centre.
In 2023, Patrick became the founder of the Marble City Music Festival (www.marblecitymusicfestival.com) in Kilkenny, Ireland. As Artistic Director, his mission is to curate an unparalleled classical music experience in his home city, showcasing world-class performers amidst an atmosphere of warmth and hospitality at each concert.
In 2020, Patrick used the COVID-19 pandemic to turn to conducting and commenced studies with renowned conductor, Alice Farnham. He continued studies and masterclasses with many leading Irish conductors including Ciaran Crilly, David Brophy, and Gavin Maloney. In 2021, Patrick was awarded a Conducting Fellowship with the UCD Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonic Choir. In 2022, he conducted the RTE Concert Orchestra and was awarded 1st prize in the Dublin Feis Ceoil National Conducting Competition.
Patrick is a lecturer at the Cork School of Music in Ireland, following a tenure as a guest lecturer at the Geneva Conservatory of Music Switzerland and a visiting professorship at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin. His students have won national and international competitions.
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Patrick performs on a Jean Baptiste Vuillaume violin, made in Paris in 1842 and a 1925 Eugene Sartory bow, generously sponsored by the Music Network Capital Scheme and a private anonymous sponsor from Switzerland.
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Patrick Rafter is recognised and celebrated as one of Ireland’s foremost classical musicians, acclaimed for his mastery of the violin and extraordinary musicianship. Rafter has taken to the stage as a soloist, director, conductor, and recitalist across Europe, the Middle East, South America, and Asia. Garnering over a hundred prestigious awards, including the National Concert Hall Young Musician of the Year (Ireland), Clandeboye Festival Young Musician of the Year (UK), Valiant Violin Competition (Switzerland), firmly establishing himself as one of Ireland’s leading classical musicians.
