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Biography

The life long journey of Rachel's musical life.....

Rachel’s mother realised at the age of three that she had musical talent when Rachel played her first tune ‘Frère Jacque' by ear after watching her older sister play the melody on the piano time after time. Her mother promptly enrolled Rachel into classes for early childhood music.

Music was always prominent in Rachel's early years, hearing her brother playing guitar and her sister on keyboard and flute, as well as hearing her cousins who played Violin, Cello, and Viola. Rachel's siblings did not pursue their musical talents but her cousins continued achieving great success in professional orchestras in the USA.

One year later Rachel was then enrolled in the Yamaha Music school for pre school children playing the piano in group lessons with other musical children. Attending pre school four days a week, and the Yamaha Music School every Monday, her musical life began!.

By the age of seven, to distract herself from practicing scales on the piano, Rachel began to compose. Her most earliest works were written during these years, and later this ability would flourish to where she is today.

At ten years of age, percussion entered her life, and she was actively involved in music in her primary school band.

At the age of 11, Rachel had written a small ensemble work and a piano solo. The piano solo titled Autumn Winds received its first public performance for a school concert in 1996.

During this year, Rachel was encouraged to audition for the Young Conservatorium on composition which she was successfully accepted for 1997, becoming the youngest composition student to be enrolled.

During 1997 Rachel joined the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra inc. on percussion.

From 1997 - 2001 Rachel studied composition with Stephen Leek . Each year she entered the ASME Young Composers Competition winning a placing each year.

In 1998 Rachel’s first orchestral work was performed, firstly by the Young Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra at their graduating concert, and on two other occasions by the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra inc. The composition was titled Tribute 2000 and received a 2nd placing in the ASME competition in 1998.

In 2001 Rachel was accepted in to the MOST scholarship camp performing on percussion. After attending the MOST camp for two weeks she headed off to Adelaide to take part in the ASME XIII Young Composers Program with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. During this time Rachel was representing ASME QLD for the national ASME conference.

By the end of 2001, Rachel received notification of her acceptance into the Queensland Conservatorium of Music majoring in composition, where she studies with Dr. Stephen Cronin.

During her first year of studies at university, Rachel received the A.G. Francis Composition Prize for a composition titled Spider for tenor and piano. The work was created from a poem by Ursula Vaughan Williams, who attended the award ceremony, and the composition concert was held in tribute to her .

By the end of 2001, Rachel applied to take part in the Song Company’s Young Composer project MOD ART 03. Her application was successful and in 2002 she participated in workshops for three weeks in Sydney with the Song Company. The final concert was recorded and broadcast by ABC FM.

In 2003 after offering her services as a composer to the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra Inc. she was offered a commission to write the orchestral work for the annual Strawberries and Champagne Concert in the Redlands, which was performed during August 2004.

Rachel is currently in her fourth year of studies of composition. Not only has she written works for instrumentalists but she has also completed short film scores using electronic and live sounds.