Rafael José Nóbrega Mendes

Abstract:
[Funchal, Madeira * 12/10/1968]

Biography:
Son of José Teixeira Mendes and Laurina Nóbrega, Rafael José Nóbrega Mendes was born on October 12, 1968 in Funchal.
Rafael Mendes began his musical studies in Banda Distrital do Funchal on September 28, 1984, having as his teacher his uncle Abel Teixeira Mendes. He later attended the Conservatory of Music of Madeira, in the clarinet classes of Raul Gomes Serrão and musical training of João Luís Abreu.
Rafael Mendes joined Banda da Zona Militar da Madeira in 1989, having concluded in 1994 the training of Sergeants Musicians in clarinet in the Banda do Exército.
Between 1989 and 1994, Rafael Mendes attended several masterclasses of clarinet, as well as several conferences about philharmonic Bands. He has also been jury of different Festivais da Canção Juvenil, being remarkable his activity in the direction of young choral groups.
Rafael Mendes is, since September 2002, artistic director of the Banda Distrital do Funchal “Os Guerrilhas”. Among the various concerts organized by this under his direction, stands out the ones carried in 2012 and 2017, by the Banda Distrital do Funchal and university groups TUMa and Tuna Delas. Resuming the remarkable initiatives made by the Banda Distrital do Funchal, Rafael Mendes has signaled this legacy with concerts with regional singers and instrumentalists, such as Sofia Petito, Catarina Melim, Lidiane Dualibi, Fabrício Canha and Norberto da Cruz the bandolinist.
In 2015, Rafael Mendes conducted the Wind Instruments Orchestra of the Associação de Bandas Filarmónicas da Região Autónoma da Madeira in the 32nd Encontro Regional de Bandas da Região Autónoma da Madeira.
Assistant Sergeant Clarinetist in the Banda da Zona Militar da Madeira, Rafael Mendes directed in several concerts, carried between November and December 2017, the Banda da Armada – Marinha and the Banda da Força Aérea.