a marvel” – CutCommon
the unflappable horn of Rachel Shaw” – The Age
Rachel Shaw is a true musical chameleon, who enjoys a prolific career across several ensembles and genres.
A passionate orchestral performer, Rachel currently holds the position of Tutti Horn with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Rachel’s extensive orchestral experience has also seen her undertake Tutti Horn contracts with the Orchestra Victoria and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Rachel performs casually with the Sydney, Melbourne, West Australian, Tasmanian and New Zealand Symphony Orchestras, and the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, and has been Associate Principal Horn of the Australian Youth Orchestra, and Principal Horn of the Tasmanian Discovery Orchestra.
Equally at home in a chamber music setting, Rachel is a founding member of Arcadia Winds—Australia’s leading young wind ensemble, and Musica Viva’s inaugural FutureMakers. With Arcadia Winds, Rachel has performed at festivals and venues across Australia. Recent highlights for Rachel include performing with the Australian String Quartet at the Perth International Arts Festival, and performing Mozart’s Horn Quintet at the Musica Viva Festival with the Enigma Quartet. An energetic advocate for the French Horn, Rachel has also had the privilege of performing alongside Kerry Turner and the American Horn Quartet, and was a finalist in the 42nd International Horn Symposium Competition.
Born on Queensland’s Gold Coast in 1990, Rachel Shaw began her musical journey on violin. Allocated the French Horn in high school, Rachel was initially so averse to it that she ran home in tears. Her trumpet-playing brother talked her into giving it a go—and she never looked back! Rachel holds a Bachelor of Music from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music at Griffith University, and studied with Andrew Bain and Ben Jacks at the Australian National Academy of Music. She has also relished the opportunity to take masterclasses with some of the world’s best horn players, including Sarah Willis, Hector McDonald, Barry Tuckwell, Jeff Nelsen and Gail Williams.