Swiss-Japanese-American cellist Raphaela Paetsch (*1996) was born in Lugano and began cello lessons at the age of four with her father. She later joined the cello class of Monika Leskovar at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana as a young student.

She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Berlin at the Universität der Künste in the class of Konstantin Heidrich, and received chamber music lessons from the Artemis Quartet, supported by scholarships from the Fritz-Gerber Stiftung and the Ottilie-Selbach-Redslob Stiftung. She then pursued a Master’s degree at the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste with Thomas Grossenbacher, where she also studied Baroque cello with Martin Zeller and contemporary music with Martina Schucan.

Alongside her studies, she received lessons with David Geringas, Frans Helmerson, Jens Peter Maintz, Wolfgang E. Schmidt, Thomas Grossenbacher, Jérôme Pernoo, Wen-Sinn Yang, Troels Svane, and Danjulo Ishizaka, among others.

Raphaela has received scholarships from the Brenno Bertoni Foundation, Zonta Foundation, Gamil Stiftung, Felix Leemann Foundation, Pietro Molinari Foundation, Irène Dénéréaz Foundation, Terrani Foundation, Zaczkowski Stiftung, Freundeskreis Musik der ZHdK, Giugliana and Giorgio Foundation, and C&A Kuppert Stiftung.

She has been invited as a soloist and chamber musician to festivals including the Haydn Festival, Düsseldorf Festival, Savonlinna Music Festival, Casals Festival, Grachten Festival, LuganoMusica, Kyoto Music Festival, Davos Festival, and At. Tension Festival.

She has performed with top orchestras, including the in Academy of the Hamburg State Opera and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, as well as the Niedersächsisches Staatsorchester Hannover and the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich. In 2025, she performed as principal cellist at the Royal Opera House London, and since June 2025, she has been a member of the Stuttgarter Philharmoniker.