Composer born in Villarcayo (Burgos) in 1935.
He received his first musical knowledge from his family before beginning his studies at the Bilbao Conservatory. He later studied with Fernando Remacha in Pamplona and from there he moved to Munich, where he worked with H. Genzmer and G. Bialas, and to the Paris Conservatory with A. Jolivet, O. Messiean and Dutilleux. He was awarded the 1st Prize at the 1st Basque Song Festival (Bilbao).
He combines composition with teaching and is a harmony professor at the Bilbao Conservatory.
As a composer, his evolution is divided into three distinct stages. The first takes place from 1960 to 1965. This is an experimental phase in search of his own language, in which his Sonata for cello and piano stands out, later revised as Concerto for cello and orchestra . The second stage (1965-1969) corresponds to the years of his stay in Munich and Paris. The work of Schönberg, Bartok and Alban Berg, and of some composers belonging to the younger generations such as Boulez, Stockhausen and Penderecki, decisively influence him. In Paris, his encounter with Jolivet, and especially with Messiaen, significantly marked him, not only in terms of musical language but also on an aesthetic level. The third period began in 1969 with his return to Bilbao. Leaving behind more experimental principles, his interest evolved towards less modern forms, following a manifest desire to return to a more tonal language, specifically that of Spanish music after Falla. Likewise, this was a stage of revision of his compositional catalogue in which Rafael Castro returned to some of his previous compositions to create new works.
Rafael Castro has received commissions from the San Sebastian Musical Fortnight and the Euskadi Orchestra and his compositions have been played at the festivals: Music of the 20th Century in Bilbao and Musical Fortnight by orchestras such as the Bilbao Orchestra, the Euskadi Orchestra and the Czech Orchestra of the city of Gilina, among others.