Rachel Roberts

Rachel Roberts is one of Europe’s leading violists, performing internationally as a soloist and chamber musician in venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York, Toppan Hall in Japan, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Musikverein Vienna, the Philharmonie in Berlin and London’s Wigmore Hall.

As a soloist she has collaborated with conductors Christoph von Dohnanyi, Andras Schiff and Richard Hickox, performing concertos with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Koln Kammerorchester, Kammerphilharmonie Graubunden in Switzerland and the Manchester Camerata Chamber Orchestra amongst others. In January 2025 she recorded Edward Gregson’s Viola Concerto ‘Three Goddesses’ with the BBC Philharmonic, for release on Chandos Records.

Prizes and accolades for her chamber music recordings include thrice being awarded the coveted Diapason d’Or (2009, 2021, 2023), BBC Chamber Choice in BBC Music Magazine and CD of the month in Fonoforum magazine, Germany. She is a regular guest at international chamber music festivals such as Salzburg Festival, Wiener Festwochen, Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg, Heimbach “Spannungen” and Mecklenburg Vorpommern. She has recorded chamber music for Hyperion, Champs Hill Records, Signum Classics, cAVI, Deutsche Rundfunk, Alpha Classics, Orchid Classics and BIS Records.

As a member of two award winning ensembles, the Wigmore Soloists and Ensemble 360, Rachel appears regularly at Wigmore Hall, the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, and right across the UK. She frequently performs and records with the Nash Ensemble and has also appeared with the Tetzlaff Quartett, among other celebrated ensembles. Alongside the pianist Tim Horton and clarinettist Robert Plane, she is also a member of Trio Meister Raro.

Building on their highly successful collaboration at Wigmore Hall, in 2021 Rachel joined Christian Tetzlaff, Florian Donderer, Marie Elisabeth Hecker and Tanja Tetzlaff in Germany, to record and perform Schubert’s String Quintet in C major, D. 956. The resulting disc was released on the Alpha Classics label to critical acclaim.

Rachel is Professor of Viola at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, and is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy.