Teacher Profile: Rachel Zhao

About Rachel Zhao

Rachel Lee Zhao is a violinist born and raised in the lush farmland of the Shenandoah Valley, VA. She graduated from Oberlin Conservatory with a Bachelors in Violin Performance, earned her Masters of Music degree in Violin Performance at Roosevelt University, and graduated from Shenandoah University with an Artist Diploma. Rachel is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Violin Performance at Stony Brook University. Her primary teachers have included Jennifer Frautschi, Philip Setzer, Hagai Shaham, Arnaud Sussman, Akemi Takayama, David Bowlin, and Almita Vamos. As part of the Emerson String Quartet Intensive at Stony Brook University, Rachel received weekly coaching’s with members of the Emerson Quartet from 2022-2024.

As an avid chamber and orchestral musician, Rachel is currently a member of the Fort Green Orchestra in Brooklyn, the New Orchestra of Washington in DC, and Chrysalis Chamber Players with Mary Bowden. As part of a Violin Duo with violinist Emily Ilyes, Rachel has often performed for politicians and dignitaries including recent performances at the Japanese Ambassador’s Residence in DC. She has performed across North America as well as Argentina, Panama, Denmark, and China with venues ranging from Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium to the Kennedy Center in DC. Recent performance highlights include collaborating with members of the Emerson String Quartet at Stony Brook University’s Legacy concert series, and as a soloist in the world premiere in March 2024 of Margaret Schedel’s Concerto for Violin and Percussion at the DiMena Center in NYC.

Rachel has a passion for teaching and was the Adjunct Instructor of Applied Violin at Shenandoah University for the 2023-2024 school year and is currently an undergraduate chamber music coach at Stony Brook University. Having grown up with the Suzuki method, pedagogy is very near and dear to Rachel’s heart. She loves the nurture and encouragement she received as a child and hopes to pass on to the next generation the love and enthusiasm that she feels for music. Rachel works with students of all ages and levels: adults, as well as children, advanced students and beginners alike. She believes that no matter the level of the musician there is such wonderful magic that can happen when a student conquers a new challenge. Rachel's students have gone to win competitions and have been accepted into many respected universities for both graduate and undergraduate programs including Brown University and NYU.

Rachel is inspired by contemporary chamber music and hopes to continue to promote and collaborate with young composers, creating sustainable art for the future.