Biography
Discovered by the general public during the ‘ Victoires de la Musique 2010 ’- French classical music awards - Raphael Severe currently ranks as the youngest representative of the French school of clarinet. His nomination at the age of 15 in the category of ‘Instrumental soloist revelation’ highlighted an outstanding musical record.
Raphael received a very early musical education : the piano, the violin and the cello. Aged 8, he took up the clarinet at the Conservatoire of Nantes while continuing studying the piano. The following year he jumped no less than eight classes and was admitted to the clarinet top-grade straightforwardly.
Two years later he gave his first soloist concert in China when he played Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto with YU Feng, the artistic director of the Beijing Opera Orchestra, conducting.
At 12 he was a prize winner of five international competitions including the Tokyo International Competition where he won the first prize and the Jury’s Special Prize.
At 14 he was admitted at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique of Paris with unanimous acclaim from the jury.
At 15 he obtained the high school diploma with honors and one year later the bachelor’s degree with high honors at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique of Paris.
Raphael has performed in various concert halls, the Auditorium de Radio France, the Cité des Congrès in Nantes, the Corum in Montpellier, the Palais de la Musique in Strasburg, the Arsenal in Metz, the Atheneum in Bucharest, the Cultural Center in Macao, the City Hall in Hong Kong and the International Forum in Tokyo.
He has been invited to play as a soloist with several orchestras : Brittany Orchestra, Picardy Orchestra, Nice Philharmonic Orchestra, Strasburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Garde Républicaine Symphonic Orchestra, Ile de France National Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic, Sinfonia Varsovia, Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn, Hong Kong Wind Kamerata.
In the field of chamber music Raphael has worked with Alain Planes, Jerome Ducros, Isabelle Moretti, Deborah and Sarah Nemtanu, Olivier Charlier, Gérard Caussé, Henri Demarquette, Jérôme Pernoo, Philippe Bernold, Norah Gubisch, Ebene Quartet, Modigliani Quartet.
His first CD "Recital of French music" recorded live at the age of 12 has been rewarded by Diapason (4 stars), Classic Info Disque (revelation), Classica Repertoire (discovery). His second CD "Opus 2" has been rewarded 5 stars.