“Being a Windham Hill fan, it certainly takes me back to those days, where a simple guitar album, played with endearing quality and attention to detail, has become a delight”.
MICK WORDLEY
FINGERSTYLE GUITARIST
Rafael Arden brings Renaissance lute music to life
combining historical understanding with musical depth
The SCOTTISH LUTE PROJECT
Rafael Arden’s Scottish Lute Project is a deeply personal exploration of the haunting beauty of Scottish Renaissance music.
Inspired by the 17th-century Rowallan and Straloch manuscripts, the project brings forgotten melodies back to life through performances rich in intimacy, atmosphere and emotional depth.
Combining historical understanding with instinctive musicality, Rafael’s interpretations reveal the timeless humanity within these ancient works — creating performances that feel less like historical reconstruction and more like living conversations across time.
Special thanks to renowned lutenist and scholar Elizabeth Pallett for her invaluable guidance and support throughout this project.
RAFAEL ARDEN
Rafael Arden is an Australian lutenist and recording artist whose work is shaped by a lifelong fascination with the expressive power of music. With musical influences spanning classical, Celtic, folk and early music traditions, his performances are known for their intimacy, atmosphere and emotional subtlety.
Blending scholarship with instinctive musicality, Rafael creates performances that invite listeners into a quieter and more reflective world — one of stillness, beauty and timeless human connection. Alongside his work as a performer and recording artist, he continues to explore the rich traditions of Renaissance and early European music through ongoing study, research and creative interpretation.
