Hailed by the Toronto Star as a “young musician with a bright future” and noted for his “spirited and fiery performances”, Rafael Hoekman is currently Principal Cellist of the Edmonton Symphony, He has been a featured soloist with the Calgary Philharmonic, Quebec Symphony, I Musici de Montreal and Newfoundland Symphony and looks forward to making his debut as soloist with the Edmonton Symphony in 2017. As an orchestral musician, Rafael has performed with orchestras including the Toronto, Detroit, and Winnipeg symphonies as well as the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.

He was a founding member of the Tokai String Quartet a prizewinner of the 2007 Banff International String Quartet Competition. He has performed with many of Canada’s great musicians including James Ehnes, Anton Kuerti, and the St Lawrence Quartet. Rafael teaches at the University of Alberta.