Strings

Raphael Lizama

Viola

Dr. Raphael Lizama is a violist and educator based in Tucson, Arizona. He earned degrees in Viola Performance from Oberlin Conservatory (B.M.), Bowling Green State University (M.M.), and the University of Arizona (D.M.A.), where he studied with Dr. Molly Gebrian and taught undergraduate violists.

An experienced orchestral musician, Dr. Lizama has performed under conductors including Sir Simon Rattle, Robert Spano, and Michael Tilson Thomas. He has held principal and associate principal roles with ensembles such as the San Francisco Youth Orchestra and the National Orchestral Institute.

He has appeared in masterclasses with leading violists including Cynthia Phelps, Geraldine Walther, and Carol Rodland, and has worked with members of the Ying, Emerson, Shanghai, Juilliard, and Takács quartets in chamber music settings.

Since 2022, Dr. Lizama has been a member of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra viola section.