Rafael Figueroa is principal cellist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, where he also excels as a soloist. He has performed as soloist and chamber musician in America, Europe, Japan and Korea. He studied with Janos Starker and Gary Hoffman at the Indiana University School of Music. He won First Prize at the Gregor Piatigorsky Competition in Boston and the Bronze Medal at the Pablo Casals International Competition in Budapest. Figueroa is a participant of many summer festivals including the Casals (Puerto Rico), Marlboro, Aspen, and Verbier (Switzerland) festivals. This is his fifth appearance at PMF since 2009.