Raphael Fernandez

Raphael Arenas Fernandez is all about making a joyful noise. He is a hymnologist, music minister, educator, and interdisciplinary music artist from Longwood, Florida. Trained by Juilliard and Curtis faculty, he began his musical career as a pianist at the age of four. He was awarded the coveted Paderewski Gold Medal in his first year of eligibility and currently serves as an adjudicator for the Florida Federation of Music Clubs.

As a conductor, he has led both amateur and professional choirs, orchestras, and operas, including the Aiken Symphony Orchestra, the Eastman-Rochester Chorale, the Bach Millennium Opera, the Notre Dame University Chorale, the Notre Dame Children's Choir, and the Rollins College Opera Theater. He is an international winner of the World Melody Music Competition’s First Prize in Conducting and the World Classical Music Awards’ Gold Prize in Conducting.

An accomplished cellist, Raphael was an All-State performer and, as an undergraduate, was recognized by his alma mater as the most outstanding string performer. He collaborated and soloed with local and international guest artists on the stages of the Bob Carr Theater and the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. He maintains an active performance schedule with various ensembles, including Opera Orlando, and serves as the Bach Choral Scholar for the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park. He has also been a guest conductor for the Central Florida Community Arts Orchestra, the largest of its kind in the United States.

Internationally, Raphael has performed at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, as winner of the Annual Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition. He is also a winner of the World Melody Music Competition’s Vocal Performance Division and the World Classical Music Awards’ Vocal Performance Category.

He is the former music director of Annunciation Catholic Church and currently serves as Cristo Rey Orlando’s music director, music minister at St. Matthew Episcopal Church, and choir conductor for the Congregation of Reform Judaism. He earned his Master’s Degree in Sacred Music from the University of Notre Dame as a Fassler Fellow and his Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Rollins College as a Nelson Scholar, where he was also nominated as a Marshall Scholar. As a composer, his interests include polyphonic and instrumental hymnody, psalmody, and sacred opera.

In his spare time, Raphael enjoys reading sacred scripture, mentoring his students, and sharing home-cooked meals.