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Rachel's compositional style blends classical idioms with jazz and contemporary harmonic and rhythmic influences. She enjoys writing for a wide range of instruments and ensembles, exploring texture, colour, and harmonic language that evokes vivid imagery and emotion. Her piano preludes, along with the choral works Kurilpa and Joyful Noel, are published by Wirripang. Several of her sacred compositions have been performed and recorded internationally, including in the UK, USA, and Australia. Since expanding into composition, Rachel has been mentored by Australian composer Gerard Brophy.

Born in Sydney, Rachel's early exposure to music was shaped by her father, a rock 'n' roll pianist with experience in pipe organ building, introducing her to styles ranging from opera to jazz. She studied classical and jazz piano, organ, and theory, earning a Bachelor of Music in piano performance from the University of New South Wales. Rachel also trained in Kodály methodology at the NSW Conservatorium of Music under Doreen Bridges and studied with prominent Australian composers such as Miriam Hyde, Peter Sculthorpe, and Eric Gross.

As a performer, Rachel has appeared extensively in solo piano and piano duo recitals. She has worked as a ballet repetiteur and performed with choirs and orchestras on piano, pipe organ, chamber instruments, and celesta. In 2007, Rachel was awarded a PhD in Musicology for her research on Australian music for dance from 1960 to 2000, supervised by Jill Stubington.

Rachel has lectured in Music and Music Education at the University of New South Wales and Australian Catholic University. She currently teaches both tertiary and Young Conservatorium programmes at Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University. As a piano teacher, adjudicator, and AMEB piano and theory examiner, she has worked with aspiring musicians across ACT, NSW, and Queensland. Rachel has also contributed to music education advocacy in Australia through industry research collaborations, including with Anita Collins. She serves as President of the Accompanists' Guild of Queensland and works as a pipe organist at St Andrew's Uniting Church, Brisbane.

Biography provided by the composer — current to July 2025