Marino Arcaro’s previous orchestral work, infanthood of clouds, Op. 15, a set of three brief impressions on the shapes of clouds, premiered in 2023 at Sala São Paulo, Brazil’s most prestigious concert hall. The piece was a program highlight at the two closing concerts of the São Paulo Winter Music Festival, performed to an audience of 1,400 people. In 2022, Marino Arcaro’s playful and characterful violin concerto, Op. 14, premiered with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Brett Dean at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. The work recently had its South American premiere at the Theatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro, performed by the Orquestra Petrobrás Sinfônica and conducted by Isaac Karabtchevsky. His Op. 14 also received the prize of the XXV Biannual Brazilian Contemporary Music.

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​   Marino Arcaro studied Philosophy as an undergraduate. He then earned a master’s degree in Composition from the Royal Academy of Music and a PhD from King’s College London, where he was closely mentored by composer George Benjamin.​

   Collaboration with performers plays a central role in Marino Arcaro’s work. He has written pieces for prominent artists such as cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, guitarists Plínio Fernandes and Fábio Zanon, and pianist Junyan Chen, among others.

   Currently, he is writing the libretto for his chamber opera and developing a large-scale song cycle based on the 1991 poetry collection by Manoel de Barros, “Concerto a Céu Aberto para Solos de Ave” (Open-Air Concerto for Bird Solos).

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   Rafael  grew up in the countryside of São Paulo, surrounded by fruit trees and a variety of insects, spending his evenings playing with ants and bats. At 17, he moved to the city of São Paulo to pursue undergraduate studies in Philosophy. However, his passion for music led him to shift focus, teaching himself composition. After briefly enrolling in the Master’s program in Musicology at the University of São Paulo, Rafael was accepted directly into the Master’s program in Composition at the Royal Academy of Music. Following a year off to compose his concerto apinayé, Op. 7, for guitar & orchestra, he went on to complete his PhD at King’s College London in 2025.

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   “... his music is at the same time extremely sophisticated and accessible to a more attentive listen. (...) In short, music of flesh and blood, sensual, sensory (...). Rafael’s music attracts because it is not limited to abstraction. It makes a point and maintains as a basic characteristic the motivation to capture the essence of Brazilian music, what it means to be Brazilian and make music, no matter the place.”

   João Marcos Coelho, ESTADÃO, Brazil.

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   “... cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason gave a duo recital with guitarist Plínio Fernandes. (...) élégie à une mémoire oubliée, written for them by the composer Rafael Marino Arcaro, was delicate and affecting."

   Fiona Maddocks, THE GUARDIAN, UK.

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   “Put it simply, I’ve been hugely impressed by Rafael’s work. (...) Rarely have I witnessed such dedication and energy. His artistic personality has exceptional dynamism and integrity.”

   George Benjamin, composer

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   “[à norte, rio preto, op.9] is a musical embodiment of the nature of the Brazilian rain forest and its indigenous people, savagely tender and wildly beautiful (...) this performance was greeted with gasps of astonishment and rapturous approval.”
   Graham Marshall, Rochdale Music Society

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   “Sometimes, something very important comes along. Rafael Marino Arcaro’s concerto apinayé for guitar and orchestra is groundbreaking, moving, exhilarating, intense, and strikingly original. (...)”

   Steve Goss, composer​