“Rachel is a great and hardworking professional” – Angel Luis Quintana Perez

As a freelance musician Rachel is a very diverse cellist. Her roots and biggest love lies within the classical music scene, in which she regular performs as chamber music musician. Her latest projects are with the Sonas Trio.

She gained the opportunity to play in many orchestra’s in the Netherlands. She is a fixed member of the Zeeuws Orchestra, and was remplacant with o.a. Philharmonie Zuidnederland and the Metropole Orchestra. She attended several projects with the Dutch Youth Orchestra (NJO) during her studies. Besides she expanded her cello technique from the classical cello playing to the pop and jazz scene, in which she gained experience playing as principal cellist in the Jong Metropole Orchestra.

Since 2026, she has been part of the organization ‘Muziek aan Bed’, which performs in hospital rooms and care facilities for people with dementia. Together with a (cello) colleague, she has memorized a repertoire of 50 short pieces in different styles and performs them for the residents. 

Growing up in a musical family, Rachel started playing the cello at the age of 7. She gained her bachelor in classical cello at the conservatory of Rotterdam (Codarts), with Herrejan Stegenga and Jeroen den Herder. Including an Erasmus program at the Liceu conservatori (Barcelona) with Angel Luis Quintana Perez. She finished her Master degree at the Fontys university of the Arts in Tilburg with Paul Uyterlinde, besides she was a contract student with Larissa Groeneveld.

Rachel had the opportunity to play on several instruments, among a ‘Rombouts’ cello build in circa 1642 (Amsterdam). She is currently playing on the former cello of Ernst Reijseger; a Dutch ‘Bolink’ cello build in 1984 (Hilversum). With the help of the SEM she could call this instrument her own. Her bow is given in lease by The Netherlands Musical Instrument Foundation; a bow made by Daniel ter Berg (1975).