Accompaniment

Rachel has been appointed as Junior Fellow in Accompaniment at the Royal Northern College of Music for the academic year 2017-18. She studied accompaniment with David Jones at the RNCM, and has received regular coaching from Julius Drake. During her studies, she won several prizes for piano accompaniment, and she has performed as an accompanist throughout the UK.

Rachel has been chosen as a Leeds Lieder Young Artist for the spring 2018 festival, alongside duo partner Peter Edge (baritone).

Notable appearances as an accompanist include:

A concert as part of the Bridgewater Hall 'Introducing' Series (December 2014)
A live broadcast on BBC Radio 3 as part of a Young Artists’ Day concert (May 2015)
Being selected to study on the Oxford Lieder Festival Mastercourse (October 2015), receiving tuition from Roger Vignoles, Imogen Cooper, Robert Holl and Ann Murray.
Representing the RNCM at the prestigious Gerald Moore Award at the Henry Wood Hall (October 2016)
An appearance at the Leeds Lieder Festival, taking part in a public masterclass taught by Roger Vignoles (April 2017)
A concert with the RNCM Songsters as part of the Leeds International Concert Series (December 2017)

Repetiteur work

​Rachel has recently explored the art of repetiteur playing by working with RNCM students for a performance of scenes from Mozart's Don Giovanni and Menotti's The Old Maid and the Thief. Previously, she worked for the RNCM and Leeds University as repetiteur for new compositions commissioned by the Performing the Jewish Archive project, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Choir accompaniment

Rachel enjoys accompanying choirs, a passion which started as she played for RNCM Symphony Chorus and Chamber Choir in preparation for their performance of Penderecki's Seventh Symphony at the Bridgewater Hall in June 2015.

Rachel is a regular accompanist for:

Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus
King Edward Musical Society Choir, Macclesfield
Haydock Male Voice Choir

She has also worked for many other choirs, including:

Hallé Youth Training Choir 
Eton Choral Courses
Kinder Children's Choirs 
Manchester Singers
Rossendale Ladies Choir
Manchester High School for Girls
Unlimited Voices
Irlam Male Voice Choir

Exam accompaniment

Rachel has often accompanied singing and instrumental students for ABRSM exams, and is always happy to work with pupils in the weeks leading up to the exam to ensure extra security in the student's performance. She provides a very calm presence in what can be a stressful situation!

Orchestral piano

Rachel has taken part in several projects involving orchestral piano and celeste. Most recently, she featured on the celeste in the RNCM Wind Orchestra recording of Spanish Music for Chandos Records (2017). She also played orchestral piano for RNCM Symphony Orchestra's performance of the virtuosic Jolivet Trumpet Concerto in 2016 (soloist: Illiam Quane). In 2015, she was the pianist in RNCM Opera Orchestra for the College's pre-Christmas run of Kurt Weil's Street Scene. Rachel also has experience of playing in pit orchestras for musicals from her student days at Oxford University (including Kiss me Kate and Into the Woods), and has been booked to do this kind of work by schools.