“…one of the most delicate and most cultivated performers of our time.”
—Diapason 

A renowned guitarist and pedagogue, Raphaella Smits plays worldwide on eight-string guitars and historical instruments. Alongside her international touring career, she has recorded 25 albums to great acclaim. Smits is recognized as a gifted teacher of both guitar and chamber music, frequently serving on the juries of prestigious international music competitions. She taught at the Lemmens Institute in Belgium for 36 years and continues to give master classes across Europe, the Americas, and Japan. In 1986, Smits was the first woman to win the first prize of the Francisco Tárrega International Guitar Competition in Spain, earning praise from chairmen Andrés Segovia and Narciso Yepes. Smits was recently awarded at the Festival Guitarras del Mundo in Argentina for her unique contributions to guitar music and culture.