With his first prize win in December 2000 at the International Geneva Competition, Rafael Rosenfeld firmly established his reputation as one of Europe’s most exciting cellists. He toured Europe as a soloist including performances with orchestras like the SWR Stuttgart, the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, the Rotterdam Philharmonic in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Tonhalle Orchestra, Zürich, the Orchestra de la Suisse Romande, the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, the Radio Orchestra of Lugano, the Austrian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Zürich Chamber Orchestra.

In addition to his success at the Geneva competition, Rafael Rosenfeld won numerous other prizes and awards at national and international competitions including third prize at the International ARD competition in Munich, a special prize at the International Jost competition in Lausanne and the highest award at the 1997 Migros Chamber Music Competition. In 1990 he was selected to represent Switzerland at the Eurovision competition in Vienna and in 1994 he was a finalist at the Tchaikowsky Competition in Moscow. He has made numerous radio and television appearances.

Rafael Rosenfeld received his musical education at the Zürich Conservatory and the Lübeck College of Music where his cello professors were Walter Grimmer and David Geringas respectively. Further inspiration came through world-acclaimed musicians like András Schiff, Steven Isserlis, Sandor Végh, Bernard Greenhouse, Ralph Kirschbaum, Menahem Pressler and György Kurtág.

Rafael Rosenfeld has followed invitations to important festivals such as the Lucerne Festival, the Ittinger Whitsun Concerts, Young Artists in Concert, Davos, the Interlakner Festwochen, Zürcher Festspiele and Open Chamber Music Prussia Cove. In 1995 Rafael Rosenfeld became the principal cellist of the Zürich Tonhalle Orchestra, and the ensemble's youngest member. In addition he is a member of Andras Schiff's chamber orchestra Cappella Andrea Barca.

Chamber music plays a cental role in Rafael Rosenfeld's musical life. For many years he performed as cellist of the Rosenfeld Trio and later was invited to join a trio with the violinist Gabor Takács-Nagy, former first violin of the Takács quartet, and the pianist Dénes Vârjon. Since 2002 his focus has been on exploring the string quartet literature with the Merel Quartet.

Rafael Rosenfeld is a professor of cello at the Basel Music Academy.