Raphael Fusco

Raphael Fusco is in high demand as a composer, keyboardist, and conductor in America and in Europe. He began his piano studies at age eight and composed his first pieces when he was ten. His catalog includes over 100 compositions of vocal, chamber, and orchestral music. A specialist in early music and modern improvisation, his musical language combines jazz and pop sonorities with gestures and techniques of the Baroque and Classical eras. The Hartford Courant praised his music as “full of energy and lyricism” and El Mundo noted Raphael as “one of the most outstanding emerging composers.”

In 2012, the Cecilia Chorus of NY commissioned and premiered his Divis Cetera: An Ode from Mount Soracte for choir and orchestra in Isaac Stern Auditorium in Carnegie Hall. His song cycle “Unsolicited Advice” received an award from the NATS Art Song Competition and was premiered in Weill Hall in 2011. In 2010, his Pièces de Clavecin received an award from the Alienor International Harpsichord Competition and New York Repertory Orchestra premiered his Sinfonia Drammatica which was a finalist for the American Prize. He made his Lincoln Center debut conducting the premiere of his Concertone from the harpsichord in Merkin Hall in 2007.

As a harpsichordist, Raphael is a founding member of the early music groups Corelli Collective and Uncommon Temperament whose performance at Le Poisson Rouge The New York Times hailed “winning and accomplished.” The Los Angeles Times noted Raphael as a “lively player and fine improviser” in his 2014 national concert tour with Grammy Award winning saxophonist Branford Marsalis and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. In August 2013 Raphael was awarded an artist residency at the Piccola Accademia di Montisi (Tuscany) where he had the rare opportunity to compose new harpsichord music on one of the world’s finest collection of antique keyboards. He has toured regularly throughout the United States Italy and led numerous premieres from the harpsichord, piano, accordion and piano including New Opera NYC’s Armida, Company XIV’s ballet La Fête, and Morningside Opera’s Figaro 90210 which was named one of the top 10 opera performances of 2013 by The Observer.

Mr. Fusco is professor of analysis, piano, music history and composition at Seton Hall University and Mahanaim College and serves as Music Director and organist for the Community Church of East Williston. He holds degrees in composition from Mannes College of Music and G. Verdi Conservatorio of Turin where he studied with Carl Schachter, David Loeb, Arthur Hass and Giulio Castagnoli. He also studied piano with Laszlo Gereb at the Vienna Konservatorium and analysis, harmony and fugue with disciples of Nadia Boulanger at the Paris Schola Cantorum.

Visit Raphael’s YouTube channel to hear his music.