Rafael Ronquillo completed his master’s degree: Máster Oficial en Enseñanzas Artísticas: Interpretación e Investigación de la Música from the Conservatorio Superior de Música “Óscar Esplá” in Alicante, Spain where he studied under Prof. Ignacio Rodes. In the same year, he was also a student in Música en Compostela in Santiago de Compostela, Spain where he was taught by Prof. Jose Luis Rodrigo. He completed his bachelor's degree from the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music in Manila and received guitar instructions under Professor Ruben Reyes – a mentor whom he considers his major influence in music. As an ensemble guitarist, Raffy participated in major concerts of the UST Guitar Ensemble. The ensemble performed in guitar festivals in Manila held in well-known venues like the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Philam Life Auditorium, and in the Summer Music Camps held by UST in different provinces around the Philippines. He performed in the Theatre Arniches and the ADDA (Auditorio de la Dipucatión de Alicante) in Alicante, Spain. Currently, he is a member of the Silangan Chamber Guitar Ensemble, which also performs in and out of Metro Manila. As a soloist, he gave concerts in different cities in the past years: • Solo concerts at the Freaks Arts Bar in Alicante, Spain, 2015 • UMH Radio, Miguel Hernandez University, Elche, Costa Blanca, Spain, 2015 • Audicion de Guitarra, Alicante, Spain, 2015 where he featured the Spanish Premiere of the Batang Laro Suite for Guitar by Bayani Mendoza De leon • Manila Guitar Festival 2016 • “Una Noche de Cuerdas” with Elsanta Cortes and the Silangan Chamber Guitar Ensemble, 2017 • Classical Revolution, Caffe Trieste, Berkeley, CA, 2017 • I-Hotel Speaks, Manila Town Heritage Center, San Francisco, CA, 2017 • UST Conservatory of Music Presents: Rafael Ronquillo, 2016 & 2018 • Un Concierto de Guitarra with Aaron Alvarez Biag, The Madz Studio, Quezon City, 2018 • Rafael Ronquillo Guitar Recital, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, 2018 • Starts Studio presents Rafael Ronquillo, Taipei, Taiwan, 2019 • Guitar Concert, National University of Yilan, Yilan County, Taiwan, 2019 He was featured in the Opening Concert of the International Scientific Congress of Private Law of the Philippines & Spain (2016) and "Hapag at Himig: A Night of Banquet and Beautiful Music" Philippine Psychiatric Association Presidential Gala Night (2018). He is a faculty member of the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music, and the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila in the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences’ Department of Music, and the Presidential Committee on Arts, Culture, and Sports where he heads one of its guitar ensembles. He occasionally gives master classes in different conservatories in Manila and currently aims to further build his career as a concert artist and promote Philippine music in different countries in the coming years.
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