Rafael Mota

A native of Santa Comba Dão, Rafael Mósca Mota da Costa, a trombonist on the staff of the Deutsche Oper Berlin (Berlin German Opera), once again performed with the Berliner Philharmoniker, one of the world’s most prestigious symphony orchestras. He is once again performing with the Berlin Philharmonic at the Salzburg Easter Festival in Austria, one of the most important international events dedicated to classical music.

Rafael Mota is a permanent trombonist with the Deutsche Oper Berlin (Berlin German Opera) Orchestra.

He began his musical studies at the Santa Comba Dão Philharmonic. In 2011, at the age of 9, he enrolled at the Dão Conservatory of Music and Arts, studying with Ricardo Gonçalves, where he completed the 5th level. He then enrolled at the Espinho Professional School of Music for the 2016–2017 academic year, where he completed the Professional Music Program in 2019 under Daniel Dias.

Upon completing his studies at EPME, after an audition, he was admitted to the UDK, Universität der Künste Berlin, where he studies with Stefan Schulz, who is also a trombonist with the Philharmonie Berlin and a member of the World Trombone Quartet.

He has performed with orchestras such as the Staatskapelle Berlin, the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg, the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Komische Oper Berlin, and the Symphonieorchester der Universität der Künste Berlin, among many others, as well as with the Espinho Classical Orchestra, the Espinho Jazz Orchestra, and the Orquestra Filarmonia das Beiras.

He is a member of the Outslider Trombone Quartet.

He was also a member of the Portuguese Youth Orchestra in 2019 and the Orquestra XXI (composed exclusively of Portuguese musicians living abroad).