Raquel De Benito Forriol

Born in Madrid (Spain) in 1996. From 2013 and 2021 she studied at the Reina Sofía School of Music’s Fundación BBVA Viola Chair with professor Diemut Poppen. Her Majesty Queen Sofía handed her the Diploma to the most outstanding student of her chair in the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 academic years.

She studied at the Amaniel Professional Conservatory of Madrid where she graduated with Honours in viola, violin and chamber music during several academic years. As a student of the School, she has attended masterclasses by Lawrence Power, Tabea Zimmermann, Hariolf Schlichtig, the Casals Quartet, Veronika Hagen, Antoine Tamestit, and during the Santander Music and Academy Encounter, by Isabel Charisius.

She has been awarded at the Sant Anastasi Competition in Lérida (Spain). At the age of 13, she performed as soloist in the TVE program “Pizzicato” and was invited to play Falla’s “La Vida Breve” in the Festival de Valence (France). She has also performed concerts in Madrid, Alcalá de Henares, and Annecy (France). She has been selected to play as soloist with the Amaniel Conservatory (violin) and the Pehlivanian Project (viola) orchestras. In addition, she has also performed in venues including the Mutua Madrileña Auditorium, Marqués de Salamanca’s Palace (within the “Primavera BBVA” series) and Madrid’s National Auditorium.

As a student of the School, she has performed as soloist with the Freixenet Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Plácido Domingo, Víctor Pablo Pérez, Josep Pons, and Stefan Lano. She has also been part of the Freixenet Chamber Orchestra, conducted by András Schiff and Eldar Nebolsin, and that of Puertos del Estado Haendel Quartet, Brahms Ensemble, Fundación Mutua Madrileña String Consort and KPMG Schubert Ensemble.

She is currently a member of the Asisa Óscar Esplá Quartet, with whom she was awarded the 2019 and 2020 Mention to the most outstanding chamber group of the string quartets category, as well as the EMCY Prize at the Young Musicians of Spain Competition in 2019.