Rachel Desoer is a Canadian cellist. She studied at the Juilliard School, Oberlin College, McGill University and the Banff Centre. She graduated from Oberlin in 2008 with a Bachelor of Music degree.
Rachel was the cellist of the Cecilia String Quartet from 2010 to 2018. In this ensemble Rachel toured extensively around the world, recorded 4 albums on the Analekta label and taught chamber music at the University of Toronto.
Touring has allowed Rachel to perform at such inspiring venues as Wigmore Hall, The Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Konzert Haus Berlin and many more. The Cecilia Quartet also made educational programming a priority and performed hundreds of presentations for schools. In 2014, the quartet created a concert series called Xenia concerts specifically designed for children on the autism spectrum and their families. Exemplifying their commitment to the equal representation of women in music, Rachel spearheaded the commissioning of 4 string quartets by Canadian women composers in 2016.
Rachel continues to play recitals and chamber music regularly. She has worked in orchestras, most notably, the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Canadian Opera Company. Currently, Rachel is the principal cellist of Symphony Nova Scotia. Rachel performs on a Vuillaume from ca. 1850, generously loaned by the Symphony Nova Scotia Society.
Mount Zion Lutheran Church
29 Westmount Rd. S.
Waterloo, ON N2L 2K4
Time | Name | Titles | Home Festival |
---|---|---|---|
Time:10:45 AM | Name:Madeline Ma | Titles: Sonata in C Major, op. 40, no. 1, 1st mvt. by Jean-Baptiste Bréval Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007, Menuetto I and Menuetto II by Johann Sebastian Bach | Home Festival:Unionville |
Time:11:00 AM | Name:Lok Hei Cayden Chang | Titles: Sonata in C Major, op. 40, no. 1, 1st mvt. by Jean-Baptiste Bréval Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007, Menuetto I and Menuetto II by Johann Sebastian Bach | Home Festival:Unionville |
Time:11:15 AM | Name:Audrey Zhang | Titles: Sonata in E Minor, op. 38, no. 1, Allegro non troppo by Bernhard Heinrich Romberg Elfentanz by Ezra Jenkinson | Home Festival:Toronto |
Time:11:30 AM | Name:Gavin Wang | Titles: Concertino No. 3 in A Major, 3rd mvt. by Jean-Baptiste Bréval Sonata in G Minor, op. 65, 3rd mvt. by Frédéric Chopin | Home Festival:Unionville |
Time:11:45 AM | Name:Olivia Wang | Titles: Bonjour tristesse by Paul Hart Dance Rustique, op. 20, no. 5 by William Henry Squire | Home Festival:Hamilton |
Time | Name | Titles | Home Festival |
---|---|---|---|
Time:1:00 PM | Name:Alexander Leong | Titles: Sonata in C Major, 1st mvt. by Jean Baptiste Bréval Danse Rustique, op. 20, no. 5 by William Henry Squire | Home Festival:Toronto |
Time:1:15 PM | Name:Summer Bay | Titles: Concertino No. 3 in A Major, 3rd mvt. by Jean-Baptiste Bréval Dance Rustique, op. 20, no. 5 by William Henry Squire | Home Festival:North York Live |
Time:1:30 PM | Name:Harper Wang | Titles: Orientale, op. 50, no. 9 by César Cui Dance Rustique, op. 20, no. 5 by William Henry Squire | Home Festival:Peel |
Time:1:45 PM | Name:Zihan Xiao | Titles: Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007, Menuetto I and Menuetto II by Johann Sebastian Bach Elfentanz, Elfentanz by Ezra Jenkinson | Home Festival:Ottawa Kiwanis |
Time:2:00 PM | Name:Georgio Silvea | Titles: Wild Rider, op. 68 by Robert Schumann Allegro by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach | Home Festival:Toronto |
Time:2:15 PM | Name:Vivian Zhou-Li | Titles: Sonata in C Major, op. 40, no. 1, 1st mvt. by Jean-Baptiste Bréval Minuets from the Suite in G major, BWV 1007, Menuetto I and Menuetto II by Johann Sebastian Bach | Home Festival:Hamilton |
Time:2:30 PM | Name:Ethan Lai | Titles: Sonata No. 2 in E minor, Adagio and Allegro by Benedetto Marcello Chanson Triste, op. 40, no. 2 by Piotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky | Home Festival:Guelph |
Workshop will be held from approximately 3:00 pm to 4:15 pm.
Announcement of winners will happen at the end of the workshop.