Rafael Frade

Rafael Frade, born in Valpaços, had his first contact with music in the Banda Municipal de Valpaços with the teacher João Mairos.

In 2013, at the age of 12, he enrolled in the Escola Profissional de Arte de Mirandela - ESPROARTE - where he joined the class of Tuba and Euphonium of the teacher Nuno Machado and where he finished the course of wind and percussion instrumentalist with top marks.

Throughout his academic career he participated in several musical improvement courses led by teachers David Childs, Demondrae Thurman, Robbert Vos, Gleen Van Looy, Thierry Thibault , Lilian Meurin, Bastien Baumet, Mauro Martins, Jannicke Ellingsen as well as by conductors Jan Cober, Valter Palma, António Saiote, Alberto Roque, Fernando Marinho and Douglas Bostock.

In the years 2014, 2015 and 2016, he participated in the international competition "Terras de La Salette" where he was awarded 3rd, 2nd and 1st places in the juvenile category, respectively. In 2018 he won, in the same competition, 1st place in the junior category. In the same year he achieved 2nd place (2nd Cycle) in the International Tuba and Euphonium Competition of Tours (France).

In the year 2019 he obtained the 1st prize in the Concurso da Associação Portuguesa de Tubas e Eufónios in the Junior category.