Raphael Mentzen was tutored by Konradin Groth at Berlin University of the Arts and graduated with excellence. He is a former member of the Bundesjugendorchester, the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchester and the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester. Until becoming part of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin in 2000 he was engaged with the Deutsche Oper Berlin as well as the Münchener Rundfunkorchester.