Rachel Meredith – United Kingdom

Rachel Meredith is a cellist whose passion lies in chamber orchestras and ensembles. She is currently a Masters student with Professor Tilmann Wick at the Hochschule for Music, Theatre and Media, Hannover (HMTMH), where she performed as principle cellist in the HMTMH orchestra, in chamber music ensembles and as a soloist in public class concerts.

In Australia, Rachel performed with the Sydney Sinfonia, conducted by Richard Gill and as a guest cellist in the Australian National Academy of Music Orchestra conducted by Richard Tognetti, director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO). Rachel was a member of the Australian Youth Orchestra and has participated in many of their orchestral and chamber music programs under the tutelage of Emma Jane Murphy (ACO, TrioZ), Zoe Knighton (Flinders Quartet), Stephen King (ACO), Ian Swensen, Geoffrey Lancaster, Firebird Trio, Carducci Quartet and Dorric String Quartet.

Rachel has a Bachelor of Music in Advanced Performance from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music (QCM) in Brisbane, Australia, receiving first class honours and a university medal. She won numerous prizes at QCM, including the Basil Jones Sonata Prize and the Paganini/Piatti prize and was principle cellist of the Symphony and Chamber Orchestras. In Brisbane, Rachel also performed with award winning ensembles the Yukai String Quartet and the Alembic Piano Trio as well as with the Queensland Youth Orchestra and the Camerata of St John’s.

Rachel began her early musical education in the country town of Armidale, New South Wales (NSW) playing recorder and piano. She discovered her passion for the cello at age 9 and quickly progressed, performing in the state NSW orchestra and in the Armidale Youth Orchestra as well as receiving a scholarship at the New England Conservatorium of Music.

Previous cello teachers include Molly Kadarauch, former cellist of the ACO, Josephine Vains, cellist of the Firebird Trio, Markus Stocker and Trish O’Brien. Rachel has participated in public master classes with Pieter Wispelway, Nicolas Altstaedt, Howard Penny and Jian Wang.

Apart from the cello, Rachel is an avid Yogini, practicing Yoga daily and is passionate environmentalist.