Rafael Pérez Arroyo | en

Rafael Pérez Arroyo was born in Madrid. After finishing his higher studies in piano and composition he graduated in Musicology and Orchestral Conducting in 1983 from the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música in Madrid. He furthered his studies in Orchestral Conducting with Sergiu Celebidache in Munich in 1980 and 1981, with Sir Charles Mackerras in 1981 and with Julius Kalmar in 1982 in Vienna. He has written numerous technical articles and studies of early Spanish instruments; particularly worthy of note is that on Renaissance harps. He also collaborated in the project: Historia de la música Española.

Since 1992 he has dedicated himself to the study of the music of Ancient Egypt: Pharaonic musicology. The initial stage of this culminated in the publication of the first of a series of books, written in collaboration with Syra Bonet: ‘Music in the Age of the Pyramids’, available in both Spanish and English editions. The book received the First Prize 2002, awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Education Culture and Sport to the Best Scientific Book. It has also received excellent reviews in the specialist press, both Spanish and international. The CD-Audio with the same title was similarly well received.

In the field of music production he has produced more than 22 recordings of early Spanish music from 1995 to 1998 for the Sony-Classical label and more than 9 recordings for Sony España, S. A. between 1995 and 2002. All these recordings were made in collaboration with the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía.

In 2003 he made the first recording in Spain using new DSD technology for the new Super Audio CD format in stereo and Surround. This was commissioned by Sony España, S. A. and was in collaboration with the la Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía. In 2004 and 2005 he produced two other recordings using this same technology.

Since 1999 he has been Director of the Centro de Estudios Egipcios, which is dedicated to research into music in the age of the pyramids: Pharaonic musicology.

• Rafael Pérez Arroyo is a member of the Egypt Exploration Society, the Royal Geographical Society, the Asociación Española de Egiptología AEDE, and the Sociedad Española de Musicología.
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