Baltic Guitar Festival 2026. RAPHAËL FEUILLÂTRE (France)

In 2018, after winning the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America (USA) competition and receiving the ADAMI “Classical Revelation 2021” award, Raphaël was selected in 2022 as an exclusive artist by the Deutsche Grammophon label. To this day, he remains one of the few guitarists to have signed with this legendary company. In collaboration with the label, he released the single Les Barricades Mystérieuses, followed shortly by his debut album Visages Baroques (2023), which reveals various facets of Baroque aesthetics.

After a highly acclaimed debut at New York’s Carnegie Hall in 2023, he performed in some of the world’s most renowned concert halls and festivals, including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, La Folle Journée in Nantes, and Beethoven Haus in Bonn, as well as major guitar events such as the Festival International de Guitare de Paris, Festival Guitarras del Mundo in Argentina, and the Changsha International Guitar Festival in China.

His passion for chamber music and his desire to elevate the guitar within this repertoire have led to collaborations with top-level musicians, including flutist Lucie Horsch, trumpeter Lucienne Renaudin Vary, and violinist Maria Dueñas, appearing on stages such as the Deutsche Grammophon Yellow Lounge, the Dresden Music Festival, and the Società del Quartetto di Milano – Scala G. Verdi.

Raphaël was born in Djibouti in 1996. He began his guitar studies with his first teacher, Hacène Addadi, and in 2012 entered the Nantes Conservatory in the class of Michel Grizard. Three years later, he began studies at the Paris National Conservatory of Music and Dance, where he studied with Roland Dyens and Tristan Manoukian. During this period, he was mentored by Judicaël Perroy, who played a crucial role in his artistic development.

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

As an ambassador of the guitar and in an effort to expand its repertoire, Raphaël has arranged numerous works from the repertoire of instruments close to his heart—especially keyboard instruments such as the piano and harpsichord. This passion is particularly reflected in his recording programs.

Driven by a desire to share his love for music and the guitar, Raphaël teaches at the Pôle Supérieur de Bretagne and is one of the founders of the Lille Guitar Academy, a summer academy for guitarists. His students from around the world receive guidance in masterclasses at institutions such as the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Manhattan School of Music in New York, and the Geneva University of Music. He also participates in outreach projects, particularly following tours in the United States, where he has led activities in schools and prisons.

Raphaël Feuillâtre is supported by Savarez, the historic string manufacturer founded in 1770, and performs on a guitar made by the Australian luthier Greg Smallman.

More information: https://raphael-feuillatre.com/about  https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/artists/raphael-feuillatre/biography