Rafael is a UK-based Portuguese music composer, orchestrator, multi-instrumentalist, and collaborator. Known for integrating his extensive classical training with dynamic sound design and electronic music, he has crafted uniquely hybrid and inventive scores for numerous projects, ranging from major studios to independent films, documentaries, TV series, animations, and video games - including original compositions for National Geographic’s “Europe From Above: Season 5” (2023), “When Sharks Attack: Season 8 & 9” (2022, 2023), “Maui Shark Mystery” (2022), Science Channel’s “Unearthed: Season 10“ (2022), Curiosity Stream’s original series “The Real Wild West” (2023), among others.

​

Throughout his career, Rafael has enjoyed extensive collaborations with artists across many disciplines, including with the Emmy Award-winning composer duo, The Luca Brothers on composing original music for multiple projects ranging from major studios to network, streaming and cable TV. Additionally, in 2020, Rafael collaborated with composer Alex Redfern as a music orchestrator on the score for “No Roses on a Sailor's Grave.” 

​

Originally from Aveiro, Portugal, Rafael’s love for music and composition was evident from an early age. He commenced his classical music training at Callouts Gulbenkian Conservatoire when he was eight years old. By the age of twelve, he was already composing and performing his own music, exploring the fusion of traditional writing with analog synthesizers and sound design. Rafael's passion for becoming a film composer grew, leading him to relocate to the United Kingdom in his late teens to pursue a degree in film music composition at Leed Conservatoire, where he graduated in 2020 with a First Class Bachelor of Arts degree in Film Music.

​

In 2020 he co-founded the company Engrave Production Music, providing music tailored toward specific emotions using mood-based albums that are thoughtfully curated for editors across the globe. As the director, supervisor, and composer at Engrave, Rafael has undertaken commissions for Warner Chappell Production Music, BMG Production Music, Gargantuan Music, Zone Trailer, Muchas Music, Bleach Music, Dos Brain, Wrong Planet, and Absolute Music.

​

In 2021, together with composer Jia Lee, Rafael co-founded Pitch Eminence, a forward-thinking music production studio producing cutting-edge contemporary, ambient, and electronic music for film, TV, and art installations.