Congratulations to CLA Italy and CLA Mozart Faculty Member, Raphael Fusco, whose recent composition, To Truly Love, was performed at Carnegie Hall this May!
Raphael Fusco
At Classic Lyric Arts, the participants and team alike are fortunate enough to work with artists who are not only exceptional teachers and performers, but also active creators shaping the future of vocal literature through the music of language.
Raphael Fusco, CLA Italy and CLA Mozart faculty member, is one such artist, who fully encapsulates the ethos and mission of CLA as he traverses his flourishing career.
A composer, conductor, pianist, and vocal coach, Raphael brings a unique perspective to the classroom and rehearsal room that is rooted in curiosity, collaboration, and a deep love of storytelling through music and text. In years past, CLA Italy participants have had the privilege of engaging with and premiering several of Raphael’s new works, such as Le parole dei mesi (CLA Italy 2023 premiere & Merkin Hall US Debut in 2024), and La contesa canora fra le Pieridi e le Muse (CLA Italy premiere in 2022 and concert performance in 2024).
Raphael and a CLA Italy Artist during a musical coaching
This year, Raphael was awarded First Prize in the 2025 NATS Art Song Composition Award for his song cycle Love Songs from a Third Floor Walk-Up, a witty and heartfelt collaboration with librettist Caitlin Vincent. The cycle captures the joys, frustrations, and unexpected tenderness of building a life with someone you love, transforming everyday experiences into music that is both relatable and deeply moving.
At the same time, Raphael has been developing his newest operatic project, MUSE, a work that explores the blurred boundaries between mythology, artistic inspiration, and the legacies we leave behind. In 2025, the opera took an important step forward through a workshop process in NYC, allowing singers, collaborators, and creative artists to bring the work to life in the studio and explore its dramatic possibilities. The workshop reflected Raphael's ongoing commitment to creating new works for the stage and contributing to the future of opera through evocative stories and compelling musical voices rooted in the history of storytelling and language.
Members of the 2025 CLA Italy Faculty: Michael Sheetz, Glenn Morton, Ubaldo Fabbri, Daniel Isengart, and Raphael Fusco
Alongside his work in opera, Raphael continues to create large-scale vocal works that explore deeply human themes. One of his most significant recent compositions, An American Requiem, began in response to the tragic mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando as well as a series of devastating school shootings, and was later revised during the COVID-19 pandemic. Written for soloists, choir, and organ, the work reimagines the traditional Requiem in English, drawing on influences ranging from Gospel and Blues to Renaissance counterpoint and Romanticism to offer a message of consolation, hope, and healing directly to listeners of diverse backgrounds. The complete work received its world premiere in Graz, Austria in 2022 and was recently honored with Second Place in the 2023 American Prize for Music, further recognizing Raphael's ability to create music that speaks meaningfully to contemporary audiences while honoring the enduring traditions of vocal and choral art.
Raphael’s An American Requiem will be performed at Carnegie Hall in May of 2027 with the New England Symphonic Ensemble, a true pinnacle of Raphael’s life in music and his dedication to making an impact through his art.
Raphael pointing at a poster outside Carnegie Hall promoting the world premiere of To Truly Love!
This exciting announcement comes on the heels of Raphael's most recent performance at Carnegie Hall this past May, where the very same England Symphonic Ensemble presented the world premiere of To Truly Love, a new collaborative work by Sherry Blevins and Raphael Fusco, on the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. The performance marked another milestone in a career that has brought Raphael's music to audiences around the world while continuing to affirm his place among today's leading composers for voice.
For CLA students, however, Raphael's greatest impact may be felt not on the concert stage but in the rehearsal room. As a coach, conductor, and mentor, he encourages young artists to engage deeply with language, text, and dramatic expression. His experience as a working composer gives singers a rare opportunity to collaborate with someone actively creating new repertoire and shaping the future of the art form.
CLA’s core focus is to instill in artists the importance of language in music, to show them that there is inherent musicality within poetry that is as much a part of the final artwork and performance as the singing and the acting. It is from the music of language that the rest of this beautiful artwork unfolds. Often artists interpret historic and beloved works, but thanks to Raphael, they have had the opportunity to engage with text and the intention behind composition in real time. Raphael shows, in both his compositions and his coachings, how much text is at the core of singing and performing. CLA Participants get to understand his thought process, appreciate his compositional choices, and experience a true marriage of text and music that is so special to Raphael’s compositional style.
"Classic Lyric Arts is unique organization that offers young artists the invaluable opportunity to immerse themselves in the language and culture of opera, working with some of the leading artists and teachers in the field. Since joining the faculty in 2017, I‘ve helped hundreds of singers discover their voice and optimize their performances with an expressive use of Italian lyric diction. The team is supportive and nurturing, the location ideal for study and reflection, and the food is some of the best Italy has to offer.” - Raphael Fusco
CLAVA Resident Artist, George Baolin, and Raphael Fusco during an open house at the Bloomingdale School of Music.
Whether guiding students through an Italian aria, conducting an opera rehearsal, or developing a new score, Raphael approaches every project with imagination, generosity, and an unwavering belief in the power of the arts (and good food!).
We are proud to celebrate Raphael’s recent successes and grateful for the artistry, mentorship, and inspiration he brings to the CLA community. We can’t wait to see what’s next!
Auguri, Raphael!
Click the video below to watch the 2023 CLA Italy Artists perform Raphael’s choral work, Le parole dei mesi.
Click the button below visit Raphael’s website and learn more his works!