"A Master of playing the guitar"                   Westfälische Nachrichten  

Raphael Ophaus was born in Hamm/Westphalia in 1989 and studied classical guitar at the Hochschule für Musik in Würzburg in the class of Prof. Jürgen Ruck and at the Musik-Akademie Basel in the class of Prof. Stephan Schmidt. Following the courses of study Diplommusikpädagogik and Master of Music, he completed the postgraduate studies Meisterklasse and completed his studies in 2017 with the Meisterklassdiplom.

For his achievements, Raphael Ophaus has been awarded some of the most important national and international scholarships. He is a scholarship holder of the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes, the Deutschlandstipendium, the Fondazione Cini Venice and the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation "Live music now". In addition, he achieved success in numerous national and internal competitions.

As a chamber musician, Raphael Ophaus regularly works with ensembles such as the Ensemble Modern, the Ensemble Aventure or the Curious Chamber Players and makes guest appearances in concert halls such as the Philharmonie Berlin, the Alte Oper in Frankfurt or the Philharmonie Essen. Concert tours also led across Europe, America, and Asia. He has performed with important musicians such as Dennis Russell Davies, Michail Jurowski, Ilan Volkov and Jonathan Stockhammer and has made guest appearances at festivals such as the Musikfest Berlin, the Ruhrtriennale and the Darmstadt Summer Courses. In addition, he regularly collaborates in Switzerland with orchestras such as the Philharmonia Zurich or the Basel Symphony Orchestra.

The collaboration with composers such as Helmut Lachenmann as well as numerous world premieres of works by young composers form a further focus of the musician's work. Due to his versatility and mastery of other instruments such as electric guitar, banjo, and mandolin, Raphael Ophaus is regularly requested for world premieres, film music and opera performances. CD productions for labels such as Naxos and NEOS as well as radio productions for BR, HR or SWR, among others, document his work.

Raphael Ophaus also completed a Master of Arts ("with distinction") in musicology at the Universities of Zurich and Würzburg. His contributions to guitarist and aesthetic topics are regularly published in specialist journals and by renowned publishers such as Wilhelm Fink Verlag. He is also co-editor of EGTA-Journal - Die neue Gitarrenzeitschrift.