An emerging voice in the classical music world, Rachel Richards is a percussionist and marimbist who brings a distinctive voice to the instrument through introspective performances that explore the expressive depth and virtuosic potential of percussion and the marimba. Originally from Houston, Texas, she began her musical studies on piano before transitioning to percussion at age eleven. Her artistry is characterized by clarity, thoughtful musicianship, and a compelling performance style.

Rachel has performed internationally as both a soloist and chamber musician, engaging in a wide range of collaborative and multifaceted work. Recent engagements include the world premiere of Michael Gordon’s Forest of Metal Objects at the MET Cloisters in June 2025 and a featured performance at the 2024 Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) as the guest artist for composer Austin Keck’s clinic, where she performed his work Confero. In 2024, she joined the Lucerne Festival Academy Contemporary Orchestra, performing works including Pierre Boulez’s Rituel, Morton Feldman’s Coptic Light, and Sir George Benjamin’s Concerto for Orchestra under the direction of Ruth Reinhart, Beat Furrer, and Sir George Benjamin. She also participated in the 2024 World Percussion Group European Tour, offering duo recital clinics at institutions such as the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen, and performing across Scandinavia and the United Kingdom, concluding the tour with a performance at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall.

Supported by the University of Michigan’s Center for World Performance Studies, Rachel conducted research in Japan during the summer of 2024, focusing on Japanese marimba repertoire and pedagogy. While in Tokyo, she studied with marimbist and composer Keiko Abe, working closely on Abe’s compositions and commissions, and discussing Abe’s artistic legacy. She also attended the 8th Keiko Abe Marimba Academy, where she was selected as a solo performer for the annual closing concert. This experience continues to inform her artistic and academic pursuits, deepening her engagement with Japanese aesthetic approaches to sound and expression and their influence on global percussion practice.

In addition to performing, Rachel is active in commissioning new works and developing projects that broaden the presence of percussion within the classical music sphere. She is committed to fostering meaningful artistic experiences for audiences and collaborators alike, curating programs that emphasize emotional resonance, musical clarity, and the evolving role of percussion in contemporary performance.

Rachel is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in percussion performance at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami with Professor Svet Stoyanov. She holds master’s degrees in percussion performance and chamber music from the University of Michigan, where she studied with Douglas Perkins and Ian Antonio, and a bachelor’s degree from the Eastman School of Music under the mentorship of Michael Burritt.