Rachel's Chair is kindly supported by Douglas Home.
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Australian-born violinist Rachel Smith has been a member of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra since 2014, and prior to that was Principal 1st violin in the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. She is also a regular guest player with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Royal Northern Sinfonia.

A keen chamber musician, Rachel is founding Artistic Director of the Stradbroke Chamber Music Festival, which takes place on a beautiful sub-tropical island off the coast of Brisbane. The festival also incorporates Rachel’s love of teaching with education projects from beginner to tertiary level. She has taught extensively across the UK and Australia, and at St Mary’s Music School since 2018.

Rachel completed her undergraduate music studies at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music with Michele Walsh, and her Master’s at Northwestern University, Chicago, where she was awarded a fellowship with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Through gaining the Lord Mayor’s Performing Arts Fellowship in 2003 and an Australian Council grant in 2013, Rachel was able to further her studies with Ilan Gronich in Berlin and Sophie Till in the USA, where she deepened her understanding of healthy technique.

Rachel Smith enjoys living in Edinburgh with her husband, SCO cellist Eric, and two young daughters. Her hobbies include baking, knitting and reading on the couch.